Bastide Foundation 1256 (≈ 1256)
Created by Alphonse de Poitiers on the edge of Aveyron.
1302
Head office
Head office 1302 (≈ 1302)
Villefranche becomes an important religious centre.
1463
Right to strike currency
Right to strike currency 1463 (≈ 1463)
The senate floor gets this royal privilege.
1497
Fire of the place
Fire of the place 1497 (≈ 1497)
Destroyed houses before the 16th century.
XVIe siècle
Reconstruction of the house
Reconstruction of the house XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Rebuilt on the primitive plane after the fire.
1932
Registration of the façade
Registration of the façade 1932 (≈ 1932)
First protection under Historic Monuments.
1996
Complete classification
Complete classification 1996 (≈ 1996)
Gallery, facade and roof classified.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Façade: registration by order of 14 November 1932 - Covered gallery, façade and roof: classification by decree of 31 October 1996
Key figures
Alphonse de Poitiers - Founder of the bastide
Created Villefranche-de-Rouergue in 1256.
Origin and history
The Maison Ricard is an emblematic monument of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, a bastide founded in 1256 by Alphonse de Poitiers. This city, organized according to an orthogonal plan typical of the bastides, became an important economic and administrative center, sheltering wealthy merchants. The central square, the heart of the city, was gradually lined with arcades, but a fire in 1497 destroyed earlier buildings, explaining the absence of older houses than the sixteenth century.
The Ricard House, rebuilt after the fire, follows the primitive plan of the bastide. Its façade on the square may date from the 19th century, although its structure dates back to the 16th century. It was classified as a Historic Monument, first for its façade in 1932, then for its covered gallery, façade and roof in 1996. This classification is part of the protection of the architectural ensemble of Place Notre-Dame, symbol of the commercial golden age of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
The bastide, the seat of an archpried from 1302, enjoyed in 1463 the right to strike royal currency, strengthening its economic status. Houses, like the Ricards, reflect this market prosperity. Their reconstruction after the fire respected the original rectangular lots, thus preserving urban harmony. Today, Maison Ricard bears witness to this history, integrated into a protected and emblematic architectural ensemble of Rouergue.
