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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The building at 31 Jeanne-d'Arc Street in Orléans is part of a coherent architectural complex, designed according to a 19th century municipal ordinance. The aim of this regulation was to standardize the heights of the cornices, the levels of the floor bands and the general scale of the facades, while allowing for a variety of styles. The objective was to create a perspective valuing St. Croix Cathedral, the focal point of the street. Each house, although unique in its ornamentation, respects a harmony imposed by the city.

This building was destroyed during the Second World War bombings, which struck Orleans between 1940 and 1944. After the conflict, it was reconstructed identically, thus preserving the architectural unit of Jeanne-d'Arc Street. Its facade and roof were protected by a registration order under the Historic Monuments as early as 23 January 1945, recognizing its heritage value in the urban landscape.

Jeanne-d'Arc Street, the emblematic artery of Orleans, today embodies a medieval heritage – by its name linked to local heroine – and modern, through this faithful reconstruction. The building bears witness to the city's resilience and its willingness to preserve its architectural identity despite the destruction of the war.

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