Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building at 594 rue Nationale (formerly 144) in Villefranche-sur-Saône is a 15th century building, representative of the civil architectural heritage of this period. Its location in the city centre, on a major artery, suggests an important role in the medieval urban fabric, although the sources do not specify its original function (housing, commerce, etc.). The accuracy of its location is estimated as fair (note 5/10), with an address confirmed by the Merimée base and approximate GPS coordinates.

The protection of this monument is limited to its façade, inscribed by ministerial decree on 7 June 1926. This distinction underlines the heritage value of its elevation, typical of bourgeois or merchant buildings of the late Middle Ages. Today, the building belongs to a private company, and its access to the public (visits, rentals) is not documented. Available sources (Monumentum, Mérimée data) do not mention any sponsor, architect or specific historical event related to this building.

Villefranche-sur-Saône, founded in the 13th century as a free city (exempted from certain taxes), was a strategic commercial hub between Lyon and Burgundy. The 15th century buildings testify to the growing prosperity of the local bourgeoisie, often linked to the trade in wine, fabrics or metals. This type of building, with its preserved facade, illustrates the evolution of constructive techniques and decorations (windows, stone frames) during this pivotal period between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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