Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Chapter of Troyes, also called Cellier Saint-Pierre, is a medieval building located in Place Saint-Pierre, adjacent to the cathedral. Built in the middle of the 13th century (circa 1256 according to the dendrochronology of its frame), it was originally used as a pantry on the ground floor and as a refectory or meeting room on the floor for the canons. Its imposing dimensions (29 m long, 16 m high) and its architecture make it a rare testimony of the canonial life of Troy.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, the building underwent a major transformation: the eastern gable was taken over, partitions and bays were pierced on the first floor, and a ceiling was added to create a level below the attic. These developments coincide with the work of the cathedral portal led by Martin Chambiges (from 1506). A room with strokes is installed for masons, while the original entries are replaced by more robust beams. The accounts at the time attested to these changes, including the addition of skylights and the removal of the panel.

A third phase of work, in the 19th and 20th centuries, introduced new openings and a resumption of floors. The in-depth study of the building since 2008 made it possible to date precisely these stages, while recent restorations (carpent in 2015, masonry in 2016) highlighted its architectural evolution. Since 1984, the cellar has been listed as a historical monument, and today it illustrates the art of woodwork and the life of the canons in Troyes, between storage of food and community activities.

The building, a private property, is distinguished by its structure in two levels: a dark ground floor dedicated to the cellar, and a paved floor of decorated tiles, equipped with a fireplace and a walled ceiling (before the modifications of the sixteenth century). Its location in the champagne cork, the historic heart of Troyes, reinforces its heritage interest, linked to both the religious history and medieval urban planning of the city.

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