Timeline

Origin and history

The houses located on Rue Saint-Julien in Albi are an emblematic example of the Albige civil architecture of the late 16th century. These buildings, protected by the Historical Monuments since 1924, are distinguished by their two-storey structure in corbellation, with a very advanced first floor and a second surmounted by a souleilhé (galetas in the clear floor). Their facades combine wooden panels and bricks arranged horizontally or in oblique, a technique characteristic of the region. Number 8 keeps a stair ramp dated 1601, showing their stylistic and chronological unit.

These houses represent the "average" type of Albigeian dwellings of the time, combining functionality and decoration. Some have preserved sculptures on their panels of wood, highlighting the care given to their ornaments. Their protection in 1924 sought to preserve this vernacular heritage, reflecting local know-how and the urban organization of Albi in the Renaissance. Their narrow street layout and homogeneous style offer an overview of the city's everyday life and architectural aesthetics at this time.

Saint-Julien Street, with its half-timbered houses, also embodies the cultural and technical exchanges of medieval and reborn Occitanie. The materials used (wood, brick) and the methods of construction (corbelling, souleilhé) reveal an adaptation to local resources and climatic needs. These buildings, though modest, play a key role in understanding pre-industrial urban habitat in the French Southwest.

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