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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Cornier post house, also known as Jessé's tree house, is an emblematic building in Saint-Julien-du-Sault, Yonne. It has been a historical monument since 1929 and is distinguished by its cornel post, a 15th century oak column whose original is now preserved in the local museum. This post, adorned with Renaissance sculptures, presents two niches housing statuettes: Saint John the Baptist, recognizable by his lamb and his coat of skin, and Saint James as a pilgrim of Compostela, styled with a shell hat and equipped with a stick.

A second post, representing Saint Barbe and a madman symbolizing conviviality ("Here we have fun"), would have been walled and could not be found under the crepe. Under the Old Regime, this house served as a hostel and a meeting place for the Soret family, the city's notable merchants, as well as for the ranks of the royal regiments. A lantern burned there all night, highlighting its central role in local social and military life.

Architecturally, the house is located at the corner of General Leclerc Square and Notre Dame Street. Its facades and roof, protected since 1929, testify to its heritage importance. The current cornel post is a faithful cast of the original, offering a rare glimpse of the sculptural art of the transition between Middle Ages and Renaissance in Burgundy. The statuettes, by their attributes, illustrate both religious devotion and popular traditions of the time, such as compostellan pilgrimage or evangelical references.

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