Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The medieval house of Carcassonne, dating from the 15th and 16th centuries, is distinguished by an octagonal turret located in the southeast corner of its courtyard. This tower, with an inner circular structure, houses a staircase in screws whose cylindrical core, full and moulded, supports sixteen radiant slabs forming the upper terrace. The base of the core retains a heeled moulding, while its top, surmounted by a polygonal capital, supports the slabs. An adjacent small turret provides access to the terrace, whose corbelled walls were once equipped with gargoyles, two of which remain today.

The five-storey tower illustrates the defensive and residential architecture of the era. Its Gothic windows and its structure in spiral staircase, typical of the 15th and 16th centuries, led to its inscription as Historical Monument by decree of 13 April 1948. Only the main turret and the small adjacent turret benefit from this protection, highlighting their exceptional heritage value in the urban landscape of Carcassonne.

The precise address of this monument, located at 36 rue de Verdun, corresponds to a historical area of the city, although the current GPS location is considered of poor accuracy (note 5/10). The preserved architectural elements, such as gargoyles and moulures, offer a rare testimony of the techniques of construction and evacuation of the waters of the late and reborn medieval era.

No information is available on the current use of the building (visit, rental, accommodation), or on any historic owners or occupants. The sources are limited to architectural descriptions and the protection note for Historical Monuments, without reference to anecdotes or events related to its history.

The house is situated in the wider context of Carcassonne, a city marked by its double heritage: the medieval fortified city and the lower town, where this civil construction bears witness to the evolution of the affluent dwellings between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its screw staircase, a central element, reflects both a practical function and a symbol of social status for its original occupants.

The Creative Commons license associated with the photography of the monument (credit: Corvins) allows a free distribution of its image, contributing to its heritage value. However, the lack of data on its accessibility or current vocation limits the knowledge of its contemporary role in local life.

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