Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located at 14 rue Raspail in Limoges, built in the 17th century, is best known for its ironwork ramp on the stone staircase. This architectural element, deposited in 1996 after a permit to demolish, is now kept as a decorative piece in the enamel museum. Originally, the ramp consisted of three flights, one of which appears to have disappeared. It illustrates the technical advances of the steel industry in the 17th and 18th centuries, allowing the use of wrought iron in architecture.

The ramp, made of wrought iron with typical flat sections of the time, presents uniform patterns of interlaces and pistils with stamped seeds. The pieces are assembled by rings, and the handrail is made of flat iron. The starting pilastre, in one piece, ends with a half-ball in wrought iron. This monument has been removed from the list of historical monuments for legal reasons, as it is no longer considered a building but an object.

The location of this house is approximate, with an estimated accuracy of 5/10 according to available data. The ramp, now on display, reflects the evolution of construction and decoration techniques, as well as the transition to lighter and less expensive materials than bronze or stone.

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