Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 1 Rue Pierre-de-Blois in Blois is an emblematic building of the French Renaissance, built during the 2nd half of the 16th century. Its most remarkable element is its monumental door, composed of an arcade resting on pieddroits with canned impostes. Two pilasters flanked Renaissance with Corinthian capitals, it supports a complete entablement decorated with a frieze inscribed usu vetera nova. The scabs are carved of roses, while a window above, crowned with a triangular pediment, houses a crest and a carved frieze. The ensemble is surmounted by carved masks, and the wooden door of the era presents panels with arcade decoration in perspective.

The monument also preserves 13th-century medieval remains, visible in the west gable (window and mural painting) and openings in the form of archery on the basement floor. The current construction was commissioned in the mid-16th century by Jacques Viart, receiver of the estate and Count of Blois, who supervised the composition of the facades and the entrance door. Subsequent modifications, in the 4th quarter of the 19th century, concerned the interior distributions (vestibulum, staircase) and a restoration of the west facade.

Classified as a Historical Monument by order of 18 December 2024, the house is fully protected, including its Renaissance and medieval elements. Its inscription in the cadastral plan (parcel no.463, section DO) highlights its heritage importance in the historic centre of Blois, a city marked by its royal past and its architecture of the Loire.

External links