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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Charbonnier House is an iconic building located at 1bis and 1ter on Pemagnie Street, in the ancient town centre of Caen (Calvados, Normandy). Built in 1896 by architect Auguste Nicolas, it embodies architectural eclecticism in vogue at the end of the 19th century. Its ostentatious style, marked by a richly decorated facade and a dattic floor, reflects the aesthetic ambitions of the era. The cellars, probably dating back to the 17th century, bear witness to an earlier occupation of the site.

The monument is part of an urban context marked by the late alignment of Pemagnie Street, a project envisaged from the 17th century but realized only at the end of the 19th century. Sponsored by a pharmacist, the house incorporates regulatory constraints related to widening the route. The main façade, partially masked in 1912 by an adjacent building, preserves a carved decoration made by the Jacquier workshop. Inside, a second floor room, decorated with woodwork, has been protected as historical monuments since 2008.

The building thus combines medieval heritage (old cellars) and late-century modernity, with a corner treatment including a winter garden and a fence. Its classification concerns the facade, roof, back to courtyard and interior decoration of the second floor. Private property, the Charbonnier House remains a remarkable testimony of the bourgeois architecture of the CA, mixing urban functionality and decorative exuberance.

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