Bastide Foundation 1256 (≈ 1256)
Created by Alphonse de Poitiers.
1497
Fire of the place
Fire of the place 1497 (≈ 1497)
Destruction of houses prior to the sixteenth.
1er quart XVIe siècle
Breton House Construction
Breton House Construction 1er quart XVIe siècle (≈ 1625)
Reconstruction after the 1497 fire.
4 octobre 1932
Partial registration
Partial registration 4 octobre 1932 (≈ 1932)
Front protection.
31 octobre 1996
Complete classification
Complete classification 31 octobre 1996 (≈ 1996)
Covered gallery, facade and roof protected.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façade: inscription by order of 4 October 1932 - Covered gallery, façade and roof: classification by decree of 31 October 1996
Key figures
Alphonse de Poitiers - Founder of the bastide
Created Villefranche-de-Rouergue in 1256.
Origin and history
The Breton House, located in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, is a historic monument dating from the 1st quarter of the 16th century. It preserves architectural vestiges such as the fallout of an ancient vault of ridges or warheads, as well as a walled door with a full-angle arch dating from the late 15th or early 16th century. These elements illustrate the transition between Gothic and Renaissance styles, typical of the merchant houses of that time.
Villefranche-de-Rouergue, founded in 1256 by Alphonse de Poitiers as a bastide, became a flourishing economic center. The town, organized according to an orthogonal plan with a central square, was ravaged by a fire in 1497, which explains the absence of houses before the sixteenth century. The Breton House, rebuilt after this fire, reflects post-medieval architecture with its arcades and large windows, probably added in the 18th century.
Bastide was an active trading venue where the rich merchants played a key role. The Breton House, with its classified façade and covered gallery, bears witness to this prosperity. The arcade piles may date from an earlier period, suggesting a progressive architectural evolution. The partial protection of the monument (inscription in 1932, ranking in 1996) underscores its heritage importance.
