Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Combettes House, located in Villefranche-de-Rouergue in Occitanie, is a remarkable example of civil architecture of the Rouergate Renaissance. Dating from the 16th century, it consists of two building bodies separated by an inner courtyard, at the bottom of which rises a square tower housing a spiral staircase. This tower, classified as a Historical Monument in 1928, features defensive elements such as a crenelated floor on mâchicoulis, as well as sculptural details, including coat of arms and pinnacles adorning the last window of the staircase.

The entrance door of the tower, framed by covered pilasters from Arabic, illustrates the stylistic transition between the 15th and 16th centuries in the Rouergue. The bases of the pieddroits and the penetration of the archivot by the lateral pilasters still remind the Gothic heritage, while the crucifixes and Renaissance motifs mark an evolution towards more classical forms. The facades on street, connected by a wall pierced from the main entrance, give access to the courtyard and highlight the architectural unit of the ensemble.

The four windows illuminating the stairway revolutions, the last of which is surmounted by a full arch with a brace, testify to local craftsmanship. The coat of arms carved between the pinnacles suggest an order by an easy family, although their identity is not mentioned in the available sources. The staircase, probably dating from the second quarter of the 16th century, confirms the importance of this building in the civil heritage of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

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