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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house known as La Synagogue, located on 3 rue de l'Abbé-Aury in Hérisson (Allier), is a civil construction of the early 14th century, as attests the dendrochronological dating of its structure. Its local name, unrelated to a Jewish religious function, could come from a Protestant occupation during the religious wars. The building, accessible by a 14th century red sandstone porch, is distinguished by its built roof and its integration into a private courtyard.

The heritage interest of the house rests on two major elements: an exceptional 14th century painted decoration and an intact medieval structure. The murals, discovered in 1889, adorn the gables of the attic and represent secular scenes (cavaliers, standard lady, centaure, dragon). The frame, on the other hand, retains heraldic motifs painted on the entrances and punches, as well as vestiges of original panelling. A quadruple 13th-century archural window, reused and sold in the United States in 1927, bears witness to an earlier phase of the building.

Originally, the house was much larger, including a large room (aula) and a room (camera) under the same volume. In the 16th century, it was reduced by two-thirds on the northwest side, then divided into heights to create a floor. Although the sponsor remains anonymous, his status as a wealthy notable is attested by the quality of the sets. The house, unoccupied since 2008, was acquired in 2022 by the Allier department. It has been listed as a Historic Monument since November 2025, after an inscription in 2021.

The paintings, in remarkable condition despite reshuffles (covering windows in the 16th century), illustrate courteous and fantastic themes. The north gable shows two riders framing a standard lady, while the south gable retains an intact dragon near the medieval chimney duct. These decorations, combined with the painted frame, make this bourgeois dwelling one of the rare preserved examples of a provincial aristocratic home of the early 14th century in Auvergne.

The house has been the subject of recent studies, notably by Terence Le Deschault de Monredon (2020), which confirmed the authenticity of the paintings. Since 2022, the Herisson 1300 association has organized ad hoc visits in partnership with the department. The building, a symbol of the medieval bourbon heritage, also illustrates the hazards of conservation: the disappearance of its geminate bay, sold to an antique dealer in 1927, recalls the risks of dispersal of architectural elements before their legal protection.

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