Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located at 6 rue du Rivage in Moulins (Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) is a 4th quarter building of the 16th century. It is distinguished by its sailor's sign, dated 1588 and engraved with the name Jehan Moran. This stone sculpted in bas-relief represents a cartridge decorated with cut leathers, framed by a leonin mask and a woman's head styled in the fashion of the reign of Francis II. The sign, symbol of the prosperity of the ship-building until the 19th century, is the only element classified historical monument by decree of 5 June 1972.

The signboard, located above the entrance door, is a rectangular stone whose curved central medallion is stapled by complex decorative elements. The tail of a chaperone, stylized, wraps around a circular loop before falling back into banners bearing the inscriptions Jehan (left) and Moran (right). This artistic detail reflects the importance of sailors in the river economy of Moulins, a city crossed by the Allier, a major transport axis before the industrial era.

The official protection of the sign in 1972 underscores its heritage value, linked to the social and economic history of the region. Although the house itself is not entirely classified, this isolated element bears witness to the artisanal know-how of the Renaissance and the Bourbonnais batelière identity. No information is available on the overall architecture of the building or its original use outside this iconic sign.

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