Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The log house of La Châtre, nicknamed Red House due to its 19th century coating, dates from the late 15th century. Located at the corner of Laisnel-de-la-Salle Square and National Street, it belonged to a rich family of merchants, the Godards. Its typical structure has two corbelled floors, separated by carved beams forming a chess pattern. The wooden entrance door, contemporary of the construction, has a room decorated with figures today deprived of their original shield.

Ranked a historic monument since 1926, the house underwent a major renovation in the early 19th century, during which its large windows were added and its facade painted in red. She is mentioned in George Sand's novel André, which made her home of her heroine Geneviève. The property also housed Émile Aucante, a cleric protected by the writer for his progressive ideas. A statue of Saint Yves, formerly located in another nearby wooden house (market square), was moved there.

Architectural details include ground wood parts and a gable covered with small wooden slates. Although private, the house remains a remarkable testimony of local market opulence in the Renaissance. Its current condition requires work, a net protecting passers-by from the risk of tile fall. A second wooden house, similar and also classified, stands nearby, highlighting the importance of this heritage in the city.

The descriptions of the 19th century, such as that of Hippolyte Baucheron, highlight the decorative richness of the building, reflecting the social status of its first occupants. The wooden sculptures and entanglements illustrate the artisanal know-how of the time, while the missing shield recalls the family alliances, perhaps linked to the lords of Chauvigny. Today, the house embodies both a medieval heritage and a literary page, linked to George Sand and the Berry.

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