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Origin and history

The Maison de l'Aumône de Narbonne is a historic monument whose name is the name of the Island of Aumône, the island where it is located. This building, linked to the Saint-Just chapter, was used for cooking and distributing bread to the needy as early as 1453. Its existence is attested before that date, but its precise origins remain unclear. The house was confiscated as a national property during the French Revolution, and only part of its original structure remains today.

The most remarkable vestige of the octagonal staircase turret dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries. It has five unobstructed faces and a full core screw staircase, with elongated steps forming a spiral groove. Its flamboyant architecture includes a basket handle door decorated with carved crows and mouldings, as well as a rectangular frame with a monogram of 1661. A sculpture in high relief, depicting a woman offering bread, symbolizes alms or charity.

After the Revolution, the western part of the building was demolished and rebuilt. The turret, classified as a Historic Monument in 1946, remains the only protected element. It illustrates the medieval civil architecture and the charitable history of Narbonne, linked to local ecclesiastical institutions. Today, the site is located at 67 rue Righte, in a neighborhood marked by this charitable past.

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