Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Benoît's house, classified as Historic Monument in 1944, is an architectural complex located in Rodez, near the bedside of the cathedral. Built in the late 15th century, it consists of several buildings forming an angle between the Place d'Estaing and an adjacent street. The on-street facade, pierced with finely carved windows, bears witness to the late Gothic style, although the original sills and ties have disappeared. These elements are based on adorned bases, typical of the local crafts of the period.

The facade overlooking the square houses an entrance leading to an inner courtyard, where stands a five-storey staircase turret. This last level, in corbellation, is supported by crows of stone, while the door of the turret carries sculptures of Renaissance style, marking the artistic transition between the 15th and 16th centuries. The courtyard also includes a small two-storey building, served by a gallery on the first level, reflecting the spatial organization of the bourgeois mansions of the time.

The building, whose facades and roofs have been protected since 1944, embodies the mixture of Gothic and Renaissance influences in Rouergue. Its strategic location, close to the cathedral, suggests an important social or economic role in the medieval city. Architectural details, such as the mouldings and sculptures of the turret, highlight the know-how of Rodezian artisans and the evolution of styles between the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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