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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house in the 5 Place du Change in Epernon, Eure-et-Loir, is an emblematic building of the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Its main façade, made of wooden panels, is decorated with sculptures depicting Saint Christophe and Saint Michael archangel. These decorative elements, as well as the ground bays of the 15th century, testify to its architectural and historical importance. At the back of the building, a bellow façade and a stair turret, prior to the main construction, complete this remarkable ensemble.

The house, originally a hostel called Auberge du Mont-Saint-Michel, was located in the immediate vicinity of local markets (vegetables, wheats, foodstuffs) and the inn of Saint-Jacques. Its strategic location, facing the old rue du Château, reflects its central role in the economic and social life of Épernon in the late Middle Ages. The ground floor was listed as historic monuments in 1928, followed by the integral protection of the building in 2011.

Historical sources, including the departmental archives of Eure-et-Loir (series B), confirm its use as a hostel before 1550. The façade on courtyard, with its stone frames and 15th century mouldings, as well as the stair turret, illustrate the construction techniques of the period. Today, this monument, owned by the municipality, remains a valuable testimony of medieval civil architecture in the Centre-Val de Loire.

The location of the house, at the heart of the old markets, suggests its integration into the region's trade. The representations of patron saints (Christophus and Michael) on the facade could indicate a welcome function for pilgrims or travellers, strengthening its link with medieval roads. Architectural changes, such as the addition of the wooden panel facade, reflect stylistic changes between the late Gothic and early Renaissance periods.

Successive inscriptions for historic monuments (1928 and 2011) highlight the heritage value of this building. Its state of conservation, despite centuries, allows to study the transitions between medieval and modern periods in urban habitat. The stair turret, visible from the Prairies, also offers a rare example of an earlier defensive or utility structure integrated into a later construction.

Finally, the house of 5 Place du Change is part of a wider network of protected monuments in Eure-et-Loir, illustrating the richness of the local heritage. Its history, linked to commercial activities and hospitality, makes it a symbol of the urban dynamics of the period, between commerce, religion and architecture.

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