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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house located 5 rue des Merciers in La Rochelle is a building built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Ranked a historic monument by order of 23 October 1923, it is distinguished by its facade adorned with characters and a talking sign depicting a wreath of wheat, suggesting a link with a grain or flour merchant. This decoration suggests a construction prior to the siege of La Rochelle in 1628, although the date of 1769, engraved on the skylight, may correspond to a later reshuffle.

The facade of the house, protected since 1923, is the only classified element. Its architecture reflects the local influences of the time, with sculpted details evoking the flourishing commercial activities of La Rochelle, major port of the sixteenth century. The presence of characters in cross-over allegations and the talking sign underline its character both residential and related to the trade, typical of bourgeois houses of this period.

Although the sources mention a possible origin related to the grain trade, there is no documentation indicating the identity of the original sponsor or occupants. The date of 1769, if it marks an alteration, indicates that the building underwent alterations after its original construction, without their exact nature being detailed in the available archives.

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