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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The 12th century House, located at 29 Chantault Street in Chartres (Eure-et-Loir), is a rare example of preserved medieval civil architecture. Its facade, classified as Monument Historique by decree of 7 January 1921, is distinguished by three bays of the 12th century with richly carved tympanes. The latter represent unusual scenes: a balanced acrobat, a lion attacked by a hybrid creature (a monkey-headed bird), and a Cidipes (monopode) facing a basil. Columns and capitals, partially preserved, had varied patterns such as scratching demons or birds raising a character by the hair. These sculptures, mixing fantastic bestiary and secular scenes, reflect the medieval imagination and influence of the margins of the illuminated manuscripts of the time.

The ground floor of the house preserves the trace of a large broken arch, vestige of an old shop. This element suggests a commercial or artisanal vocation, typical of urban houses of the Middle Ages. The capitals and sleds, now partly disappeared, underline the decorative importance of the facade, perhaps linked to the social status of its owner. The location of the house, in the historic centre of Chartres, close to the cathedral, reinforces its heritage interest. The eardrums, though partially broken, offer an exceptional testimony of late Romanesque art and its taste for grotesque or moralistic representations.

The accuracy of the current location is considered "a priori satisfactory" (note 6/10), and the corresponding address (29 Chantault Street) is confirmed by the Merimée bases and GPS coordinates. No information is available about opening to the public, any visit, or contemporary use (rent, guest rooms). The house thus remains a monument primarily studied for its architectural and iconographic value, without data on its current use or its historical owners.

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