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Origin and history

The house at 12 rue des Marcheries in Alençon is an example of 18th century civil architecture. It was built on the site of two old houses, united in one building. Its style is representative of the city, with a three-level central body framed by two lower wings. The richly decorated façade features a cornice highlighted by a ressalt band, wrought iron bodyguards and an open door decorated with palmettes and shells.

Inside, the house retains original decorative elements, especially in the dining rooms. The one on the ground floor has partially remodeled panelling around 1820, decorated with renown and winged lovers connected by fruit garlands. The small dining room, on the other hand, preserved its 18th century panelling. The other pieces, although reworked, keep their period doors. The wooden staircase and its wrought iron ramp, as well as facades and roofs, have been protected since 1989.

This house illustrates the evolution of urban habitat in Alençon, where the architectural transformations of the eighteenth century marked the landscape. Its interior decoration, partially preserved, reflects the taste of the era for refined ornaments and noble materials such as wood and wrought iron. The building, although private, remains an important testimony of Norman civil heritage.

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