Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The building on 3 rue des Commanders-Bessas in Pézenas is an iconic Renaissance building built in the 16th century. Its architecture is distinguished by a corridor leading directly to a staircase whose angles are supported by tubes, a technique characteristic of this period. The stairwell, with its stone steps, illustrates the know-how of the local artisans of the time.

The front door, protected since 1933, is a decorative masterpiece. It is surmounted by a curved pediment decorated with a central edicle pierced by an oculus, while carved bosses animate its surface. These stylistic details reflect the influence of Italian models, then in vogue in the south of France, and testify to the prestige of sponsors.

Ranked Historic Monument by order of 9 September 1933, only the Renaissance Gate enjoys official protection. The building, located in the historic heart of Pézenas, is located in a neighborhood marked by medieval and reborn history of this ancient Languedoc city, close to Montpellier. Its exact address, 3 rue des Commandants-Bessas, corresponds to an area where urban planning has preserved traces of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

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