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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The residence at 19-25 rue des Gabarets in Saint-Martin-de-Ré (Charente-Maritime) appears for the first time on the city's plans in 1688, in the form of a house corps accompanied by a wing in return. This building illustrates the town planning of the island of Re at the end of the seventeenth century, then under military and commercial influence, the city being girded by Vauban from 1681.

Between 1718 and 1722, an additional wing was added to the right of the main body, reflecting the economic expansion of the region, linked to maritime trade and salt production. This period also corresponds to an embellishment of bourgeois houses, marking the social status of their owners, probably traders or officers.

The house underwent a last major transformation between 1790 and IX (1800-1801), with the construction of an extension to the southeast and the addition of a square tower at the rear, characteristic of post-revolutionary architectural adaptations. A sundial dated 1792, affixed to the tower, bears witness to this pivotal era. Inside, a room on the first floor preserves a set of sixteen panels carved in bas-relief (circa 1790), representing trophies symbolizing war, hunting, love, or music, mixed with revolutionary emblems like phrygian cups. These decors in stucco or painted plaster, typical of 18th century provincial art, highlight the syncretism between tradition and modernity.

Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 8 October 1986, the house is protected for its stucco decorated room, reflecting a rare artistic heritage. Its U-shaped plan, with a paved courtyard to the west and wings in return, makes it an easy housing model of the time, adapted to the island constraints and aesthetic aspirations of its occupants.

Saint-Martin-de-Ré, a strategic port and place of residence for local elites, then concentrated activities related to fishing, cabotage, and the royal (and then revolutionary) administration. Homes such as the Gabarets served both as a place of life, as a social representation, and sometimes as a forum for business or political meetings, on an island marked by its role as a military lock on the Atlantic.

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