Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The gentilhommière de la Gruette, located in Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire in Indre-et-Loire, is an emblematic example of 18th-century villas, often referred to as "folies" under Louis XV. Built in the middle of a pre-existing enclosure, it is distinguished by a south facade framed by two bodies of lateral buildings, a pediment decorated with a beef eye, and four skylights illuminating the floor. The ground floor, composed of five enfilade rooms, preserves woodwork from the period, while a grid with carved pillars of fruit baskets precedes the remains of three green cabinets in charmille.

The property was built by Audebert Cartier, a carpenter at the service of the Duke of Choiseul, reflecting the prosperity of Tours and its environs in the 18th century. A tuffeau chapel, built in 1761, completes the whole. Ranked a historic monument in 1961, the Gruette illustrates the aristocratic residential architecture of the period, combining elegance and functionality in a preserved landscape.

Protected elements include the courtyard façade, roof, fence walls, courtyard floor, and chapel. These characteristics are a rare testimony of the Tourangelle pleasure homes, linked to the economic and cultural development of the area under the Old Regime. The precise location, 17 Allée de la Gruette, and its Insee code (37214) confirm its anchoring in the Indre-et-Loire heritage.

External links