Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The old house of Saint-Junien, classified as Historic Monument, consists of two juxtaposed houses typical of medieval urban architecture. Each building adopts an almost square plan, with narrow facades rising on two levels above a ground floor. The left side opens with two arches in the middle of the hanger, one overlooking the square, the other on an inner courtyard. A straight staircase leads to the cellars, connected by a vaulted corridor that once reached the Place des Banques.

The cellars on the right side, vaulted with ridges, incorporate re-use stones, including a palmiform basket tent and an astral tore, revealing medieval constructive techniques. These elements suggest a reuse of older materials, common in the constructions of this time. The whole, registered by decree in 1988, now belongs to the municipality of Saint-Junien.

The location, on the Place Auguste-Roche, and the structure of the houses reflect the urban organisation of the 15th century, where the houses combined living, commercial and storage spaces. The arcades on the ground floor could be used as a yard or access to the warehouses, while the floors housed the houses. The vaulted cellars, often used for the storage or conservation of foodstuffs, testify to the adaptation of the buildings to the practical needs of the time.

External links