Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The medieval houses of La Réole, located between Rue André-Bénac and Avenue Jean-Delsol, form a remarkable architectural complex of the Middle Ages. Their west façade, at numbers 27 and 29 of Bénac Street, has characteristics of city houses, while their east façade, on Delsol Avenue, reveals an ancient structure called L-Arsenal or La Grande École. This building, partly dated from the 13th century, was once part of the city's defensive enclosures, bordering the Pimpin valley, a watercourse serving as an eastern defence line. The upper part, added in the 15th century, has windows and would have housed an arsenal or school for bourgeois children.

The exact destination of the building remains uncertain, although the sources refer to military use (armament) followed by educational use (school). The houses were classified as historical monuments in 2004, after a first inscription in 2002. Their structure retains defensive elements, such as foothills, arches, and geminated bays, as well as medieval interior traces, including niches likely used for ammunition storage. These vestiges illustrate the adaptation of civilian buildings to functions both residential, military and communal over the centuries.

The archaeologist Léo Drouyn had already spotted these houses in the 19th century, highlighting their role in the wall of the second urban enclosure. Today, they are a rare example of preserved medieval civil architecture, mixing habitat, defense and collective life. Their classification reflects their heritage value, both for their seniority and for their partial conservation status, offering an overview of constructive techniques and urban uses between the 13th and 16th centuries.

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