Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The ancient house of Brive-la-Gaillarde, built between the 13th and 16th centuries, is a remarkable example of medieval and Renaissance civil architecture. Its facades in local sandstone, so-called brazier, and its frames in late Grammont sandstone illustrate the local craftsmanship. The access to the backyard is made by a gate topped by a slate mâchicoulis, while a semi-outwork tower houses a screw staircase with ogival vaults, extended by a secondary screw leading to a upper room with a dome. The basement, vaulted in a cradle, and the Gothic windows with balconies of the eighteenth century testify to the successive changes of the building.

Hotel built at the end of the 15th century for the Maillard family, consuls of Brive, on the location of three houses acquired in 1477. The influential family also owned nearby hotels in Latreille Square. In the 18th century, the building passed to Malepeyre, traders and bankers, before serving as temporary town hall between 1835 and 1849. In 1851, reshuffles masked the height by a wall creating a false floor, while 15th century bays were modified. A restoration in 2001 revealed hidden chimneys, and a plaque commemorating André Latreille (1762–33), pioneer of entomology who had lived in the hotel.

The defensive and residential architecture of the house reflects its social evolution: stairway tower in promenade, mâchicoulis gallery, and scauguette in corbellation. These elements, coupled with Romanesque and Gothic windows, underline its practical and symbolic role in Brive's urban fabric. Partially classified as Historical Monuments in 1965 (tour and gallery), it embodies Correzian civil heritage, marked by the influence of merchant and consular families.

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