Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of Sagittarius, originally located on Rue des Vergeaux in Amiens, was built in 1593 by Jean Bultel, a rich drapier from Corbie. This 16th-century Renaissance building with Gothic influences served as a trade. Its facade, richly decorated with sculptures like two sagittarius and a Virgin to the Child, is attributed to architect Charles Bullant, nephew of Jean Bullant, known for the Château d'Écouen. The carved allegories, such as the Affliction and the Piété, are inspired by the Iconology of Cesare Ripa and could evoke the Duchess of Longueville, mother of the governor of Picardie, imprisoned at the Logis du Roi between 1589 and 1592.

During World War II, the house was destroyed during the German bombing on 19 May 1940. Thanks to pre-war flame retardant treatment, the facade survived the fire. Ranked a historic monument on December 21, 1941, it was dismantled stone by stone after 1945, then climbed Place d'Aguesseau, against the Logis du Roi. Today, she communicates with the latter, offering a unique testimony of the Renaissance architecture of Amienois.

The architectural features of the facade combine Renaissance and Gothic, with three levels in white stone. The allegorical sculptures, like a chained woman symbolizing the Affliction or a stork bringing a snake for the Piety, reflect the humanist influences of the time. The house owes its name to the two sagittarius (archers) carved above the bays, distinctive elements of its visual identity.

Originally owned by a drapier merchant, this monument illustrates the commercial dynamism of Amiens in the 16th century. Its rescue and its post-war recovery underscore the heritage importance attached to this vestige, now integrated into the urban landscape near the King's Logis. The references to Ripa's Iconology and local events, such as the imprisonment of the Duchess of Longueville, anchor the house in the cultural and political history of Picardia.

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