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Origin and history

The Presbyteral House of Lagrasse, located in the Aude department in Occitanie, is a 15th century building whose history is marked by major transformations. Originally made up of three elementary houses dating from the late 13th or early 14th century, it was grouped and thoroughly remodelled between 1491 and 1492, as evidenced by the coat of arms painted on its ceilings, notably those of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany, as well as those of Pope Innocent VIII. These elements make it possible to date precisely this phase of renovation, which made it a small private hotel decorated with ceilings with box and painted beams, illustrating secular and religious scenes.

The ceilings, located on the ground floor and on the first floor, are decorated with various motifs: plants, animals, satirical saynetes (like a donkey leading a man), and representations of monks and prostitutes. The heraldic weapons, including those of Abbé Pierre d'Abzac of the Twelve (1465-1501), confirm his connection with the local abbey. The house, adjoining the church of Saint Michael, became the presbytery from the 1620s, having belonged to individuals like Bonet Boutet in 1457. It lost this function in 2000 and now houses the Village Heritage House, dedicated to medieval painted ceilings.

The building has been the subject of several protections for historical monuments: partial inscription in 1948 (door and painted ceiling), classification of ceilings in 1954, and full listing and classification of the house, its courtyard and walls in 2016 and 2020. Archaeological diagnoses conducted in 2015 revealed original architectural elements, such as a 15th-century sandstone door and blocked bays, as well as traces of major alterations at the end of the 19th century, including the reconstruction of the northern wall and the modification of internal circulations. These works erased part of the medieval organization, while preserving the exceptional painted decorations.

The house is distinguished by the absence of merchant marks on its ceilings, unlike other contemporary buildings in Lagrasse. The painted scenes, like that of a monk and a woman naked in an oven, reflect a bold iconography for the time. The weapons of the city of Antwerp and of the juniper, also found in another house in the village (11 Place de la Halle), suggest cultural or artistic exchanges between Lagrasse and other regions. Despite the alleged removals and reassembly of the ceilings, their present state allows a fine study of daily life and mentalities at the end of the Middle Ages.

The building, a communal property since the 20th century, illustrates the evolution of the uses of medieval urban spaces. Its history also reflects the tensions between ecclesiastical power and local community, as evidenced by the conflict of 1650 between the inhabitants and the parish priest Jean Neret, denouncing the great ruyne sow of the house. The transformations of the 19th century, although destructive for some ancient parts, allowed its preservation until today, where it serves as a place of exhibition and of valuing the Languedoc heritage.

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