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Origin and history

The House of Diane, also known as Maison Henri II, is a mansion located on Rue des Augustins in La Rochelle, built around 1555 by Hugues Pontard, the king's attorney. This Renaissance-style monument consists of two pavilions of uneven height, connected by a two-storey gallery. Originally, the site housed the 13th century Baillac Hotel, where Mayor Jean Chaudrier lived in the 14th century. Between 1550 and 1570, the Pontard family erected this new building, sometimes attributed to Léonard de la Réau without formal proof.

Upon the death of Hugues Pontard in 1565, the house passed to his son François, who became mayor of La Rochelle at the age of 27 and joined the city to the prince of Condé. In the 17th century, the building houses an inn called L-Etang, and then houses the Finance Bureau in 1695. The Corps of Towns sits there until 1748, before the gallery became a dwelling and commercial space in the 19th century. Acquired by the municipality in 1894, the house was restored under the direction of architect Albert Ballu between 1901 and 1902, regaining its original appearance.

In the 20th century, the Maison Henri II houses the collections of the Society of Archaeology and History of Aunis from 1975. Since 2013, it has hosted Le Centre Intermondes, an international space of artistic residence dedicated to contemporary creation, initiated by sociologist Jean Duvignaud. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1897, this residence illustrates Renaissance civil architecture and the political history of La Rochelle, marked by the wars of Religion and urban revolts.

The building is distinguished by its common screw staircase and a return staircase without day, extended by an hors-oeuvre turret covered with a stone dome. The restoration of 1901 kept some original elements, such as the slate wood section of one of the gable houses. Today, the Maison Henri II symbolizes both the architectural heritage of the region and its contemporary cultural dynamism.

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