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Origin and history

The medieval house called the Bishop is an emblematic construction of the village of Sauve, in the department of Gard. Dating from the Middle Ages, it was profoundly restructured in the 15th century, notably by the addition of a screw staircase serving the entire building. Originally, its large room was decorated with a ceiling with caissons, now gone. The decorations focus on the models of the bays, doors and windows, reflecting a neat architecture for the time.

Nicknamed "the bishop's house", this bastide was allegedly commissioned by the bishop of Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone as a secondary residence. This hypothesis is based on the abolition of the episcopal seat of Maguelone in 1536, forcing the bishop to settle in Montpellier. However, its history remains partially enigmatic, especially because of its location in the heart of the Rock Sea, a remarkable natural site with spectacular limestone formations. Its construction would coincide with the peak of the bishopric of Maguelone, then located on an island.

Classified as a historic monument since 8 January 2004, the house illustrates the medieval civil architecture of Languedoc. Its spiral staircase, the central element of the redistribution of spaces in the 15th century, bears witness to a desire for modernization for the epoch. The sources also mention its precise address: Grands Rue, rue de l'Evêché and Place du Vieux-Marché in Sauve, confirming its anchoring in the historical urban fabric.

The interior decor, although partially altered, highlights elements such as the entrance doors and windows, highlighting the probably prestigious status of its occupants. The disappearance of the box ceiling and the absence of detailed archival documents, however, leave shades on its exact use and its successive occupants. Today, it remains a major architectural testimony of the Occitan region.

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