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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The guard house of La Petite-Pierre, built in 1534 on the initiative of Count Palatin Louis V, replaces an old Roman watch tower whose foundations still remain in its cellar. Its popular name, "House of the Pagans", evokes this ancient origin. Located on a rocky promontory, it dominated the northern Vosges forest and the medieval salt road connecting the Alsatian villages.

In Renaissance style, this unique monument in Alsace combines military elements (strategic position, Lombardy band) and civilians (decorative sprockets). Joined the Historical Monuments in 1934, it was the summer residence of Alsatian realistic painter Luc Hueber in the 1920s. Today, it houses the De Laforêt collections, dedicated to leather crafts.

Backed by the town hall of La Petite-Pierre, the house overlooks the "Garden des Païens", a terraced area welcoming exhibitions and cultural events, such as the OFF scenes of the local Jazz festival. Its gallery features ceramic and glass creations, while the Friends of the Garden association animates the place in summer.

The building retains traces of its dual vocation: historical surveillance (Roman tower, salt road control) and contemporary cultural life. Its long-paned roof, adorned with chanting gables, and its position overlooking the valley make it a symbol of Alsatian heritage.

The strong house, known as Heidenturm (the tower of the pagans), illustrates the adaptation of an ancient defensive site into a seigneurial residence in the Renaissance. Its construction coincided with the reign of Louis V, Count Palatine who marked the region with his architectural achievements. The visible Roman foundations recall its thousand-year role as observation post.

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