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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Maison Maravelle is an emblematic monument of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, a bastide founded in 1256 by Alphonse de Poitiers on the banks of Aveyron. This city, designed according to an orthogonal plan typical of medieval bastides, quickly became an important economic and administrative center. In 1302, it housed the seat of an archpriest, and in 1463 the seneth floor of the Rouergue obtained the right to strike royal currency. The city, populated by rich merchants, was organized around a central square and a church, with perpendicular streets delineating rectangular plots.

A devastating fire in 1497 destroyed much of the central square, erasing all traces of houses before the 16th century. The House Maravelle, like the other buildings of the square, was rebuilt at the beginning of the sixteenth century according to the initial plan of the bastide. Its facade on the square could date from the first half of the 19th century. It is now classified as a Historical Monument, especially for its covered gallery, facade and roof, protected by decrees of 1932 and 1996.

The bastide of Villefranche-de-Rouergue illustrates the planned medieval urban planning, where the arcades of the square have gradually been built according to the demands of merchants and artisans. The Maravelle House, with its preserved architectural elements, bears witness to this urban and commercial history. Its classification is part of the protection of the architectural complex of Place Notre-Dame, the historic heart of the city.

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