Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The canonial house of the Curé de Tours, located at 8 rue de la Psalette in the Old Towers, is a mansion whose origins date back to the 15th and 17th centuries. This monument, classified as historical monuments since October 20, 1960, is distinguished by its architecture typical of canonical houses. It features an entrance courtyard framed by two wardens' lodges, as well as an interior staircase decorated with a wrought iron ramp and 18th century carved woodwork. The tradition wrongly attributes this house to that of the parish priest of Tours described by Balzac, who was probably opposite, above the cloister of the Psalette, today demolished.

The building consists of a central body with two wings in return to the west. Its facades, marked by triangular frontons on the central span, one decorated with sculptures, reflect the architectural influences of the 17th and 18th centuries. Inside, the cobbled front courtyard has an oval pattern, while the protected elements include facades, roofs, and the floor of the west courtyard with its fences. Owned by the municipality of Tours, this former canonical residence bears witness to the religious and civil heritage of the region Centre-Val de Loire.

The confusion with the house of the parish priest of Tours, a fictional character created by Honoré de Balzac in Le Curé de Tours (1832), is explained by the geographical proximity to the cloister of the Psalette. However, historical sources, such as the Merimée base, confirm that the present monument corresponds to an old canonial house linked to St. Its classification in 1960 underlines its heritage importance, particularly for its interior decorations and its spatial organization characteristic of the ecclesiastical residences of the Ancien Régime.

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