Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

La Maison Cotte, located in Carcassonne, Aude, is a civil building built between 1671 and 1729, replacing a more modest house attested since 1624. Its architecture reflects the commercial channels of the time, with a ground floor entirely dedicated to shops, typical of the prosperous urban centres of Languedoc under the Old Regime. The entrance gate, in a basket handle arch, is framed with split pilasters, an ornamental style characteristic of the provincial classicism of the Great Century.

The facades on street and courtyard, protected since 1948, retain remarkable elements such as the ancient wooden vants. These have panels assembled under grooved joint covers, forming geometric motifs (rectangles and squares), while nails with round heads, very tight, strengthen their structure. These artisanal details demonstrate the know-how of local carpenters and the importance attached to the durability of materials in commercial construction.

The building is part of the urban fabric of Carcassonne, a city marked by its role as a crossroads between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. The presence of shops on the ground floor suggests a commercial vocation, perhaps linked to trade in textiles or agricultural products, which dominated areas in Languedoc in the 17th and 18th centuries. Its classification as Historic Monument in 1948 highlights its architectural and social heritage value in the history of Occitanie.

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