Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house, located in the islet formerly called "Island Saint-Ambroise" in Narbonne, dates from the seventeenth century, as evidenced by its neighboring outbuildings bearing the date of 1615. Its sober facade, divided into three levels (ground floor, first floor with large windows without ornaments, and second floor low in mezzanine), reflects a functional architecture of the era. The gate, the centrepiece of the monument, is distinguished by its remarkably preserved vantals, its leggings adorned with volute consoles, and its pilasters supporting an entablement decorated with triangular pyramids in relief. The vants, organized in three parts (a large pedestrian centre, two side for cars), still have a cariatide, symmetrical cartridges and a laurel leaf crossover, despite some degradations on the lower door.

The U-shaped inner courtyard revolves around a well integrated with a now partially extinct decoration, such as the stone balls once placed on the pillars of the gate separating the courtyard from a floor. The staircase, with two flights separated by a deciphered wall, has characteristic creeping mouldings. Ranked as a Historical Monument by order of 6 March 1947, the house specifically protects its facade, its portal (includingvantaux), its well and its staircase, testimonies of an architectural heritage preserved despite an imprecise geographical location (level 5/10 depending on the sources).

The building is part of the urban context of Narbonne in the 17th century, a period marked by architectural development combining medieval and classical influences. The houses of that time, often organized around inner courtyards, served both as housing for wealthy families and as places of commerce or handicrafts. Their arrangement reflected a social hierarchy, with sober facades towards the street and more elaborate private spaces, as evidenced here by the open portal and the U-shaped courtyard, typical of bourgeois or merchant houses in the region.

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