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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house known as Chez Ballet is a bourgeois residence located in Lignières-Sonneville (Charente), built at the end of the seventeenth century. Although not seigneurial, it embodies the social ascent of wealthy local families, such as the Ballets, tax collectors and merchants between 1637 and 1777. Its architecture, marked by a central forebody surmounted by a triangular pediment (of which the shield was erased), reflects the aesthetic codes of the era, with subsequent modifications in the 18th century.

The house is distinguished by its linear south façade, rhythmic by a central pavilion and a second later added to the east wing. Inside, the kitchen maintains a festive fireplace framed with painted woodwork, while the floors house protected chimneys. The property, initially unified, was divided into two parts on an indeterminate date. Ranked a historic monument in 1973, it illustrates the rural civil heritage of the Charente, combining residential function and social prestige.

The sources hardly mention its architectural evolution, but emphasize its role as residence for local bourgeois, such as Jacques Ballet (1736–77). The place called Chez Ballet perpetuates the name of this family, while the protected elements (facade, roof, chimneys) testify to its heritage importance. The house is part of a landscape of Charentais houses, between seigneurial manors and bourgeois dwellings, characteristic of the region.

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