Former structures re-used 1398-1413 (≈ 1406)
Carpents dated by dendrochronology, undetermined origin.
1503-1504
Main construction
Main construction 1503-1504 (≈ 1504)
Façade and monumental gable-pignon built.
1721-1745
Renovation rear façade
Renovation rear façade 1721-1745 (≈ 1733)
Uplift of the attic and staircase added.
5 février 1926
Historic Monument Protection
Historic Monument Protection 5 février 1926 (≈ 1926)
Additional inventory.
janvier 2020
Archaeological diagnosis
Archaeological diagnosis janvier 2020 (≈ 2020)
Dendrochronological analysis and construction phases identified.
juillet 2021
Start of restorations
Start of restorations juillet 2021 (≈ 2021)
Building supported by the Heritage Foundation.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facade and roof: inscription by order of 15 February 1926
Key figures
Information non disponible - No character cited
The source text does not mention any specific historical actors.
Origin and history
The house located at no 23 of the rue des Serruriers in Laval, in the department of Mayenne (Pays de la Loire), is an emblematic building of the medieval heritage and reborn of the city. Built in 1503, at the beginning of the French Renaissance, it is distinguished by its wood panel facade and its monumental gable, an architectural style rare in the region but more widespread in the Loire Valley. This house, directly attached to the old medieval walls of Laval, has six levels, including two vaulted cellars, a ground floor, two floors and attices. It illustrates the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with structural elements dated by dendrochronology between 1398 and 1413, suggesting a re-use of older materials.
An archaeological diagnosis conducted in January 2020 revealed several phases of construction. The main phase, between 1503 and 1504, gave the house its present appearance, with a street façade and a monumental gable-light. A second phase, between 1721 and 1745, altered the rear façade, raised the attic and added a baluster staircase. These transformations reflect the evolution of residential and aesthetic needs over more than two centuries. The house, protected as historical monuments since 5 February 1926, embodies a triple historical function: professional (open ground floor), residential (upper floors) and ostentatious (decorated facade).
The house of no. 23 is an exceptional testimony of woodwork architecture in western France. Its state of conservation, coupled with recent restoration campaigns (such as that launched in July 2021 with the support of the Fondation du Patrimoine), makes it a key monument to understand Laval's urban planning and domestic architecture at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries. Its location, close to the Beuchesse gate and the medieval ramparts, underscores its importance in the historical fabric of Old Laval, a preserved area where several houses of the 15th and 16th centuries still remain today.
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