Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building of Albi, probably built in the seventeenth century, bears witness to the wealth of a local merchant or bourgeois. Its architecture is distinguished by the abundant use of stone, which is then rare and expensive in the region. The entrance opens onto a vaulted corridor of four brick spans, separated by doubles integrated into the walls. This passage leads to a courtyard with a well whose margin, surmounted by a arch in the middle of a hanger flanked by ground pilasters, supports a triangular pediment. The main façade, pierced by large brick arcades, reflects the social status of its sponsor.

To the right of the courtyard, a door framed with pilasters and surmounted by a straight entablatment gives access to a remarkable staircase. Its balusters, adorned with ground rectangular paintings and crowned with stone balls, rest on an arch of brick baskets. These architectural details, combined with the quality of the materials, suggest a desire for ostentation peculiar to the Albige elite of the time. The whole, partially protected since 1973, includes the entrance corridor, the staircase, the east and south facades, as well as the well.

The location of the building at 14 rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, in the historic centre of Albi, reinforces its heritage interest. However, the accuracy of its location is considered poor (note 5/10), which may complicate its exact identification. The elements protected by the 1973 decree underline its architectural value, typical of the southern mansions of the Grand Century, where brick and stone coexist to create an aesthetic and functional balance.

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