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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The building 10 rue des Orfèvres in Pézenas, dating from the 17th century, illustrates the typical civil architecture of the city. Its screw staircase, illuminated by crawling arches, leads to a first floor decorated with painted friezes and a French ceiling decorated with vegetal motifs and figurative scenes. The ground floor was once home to artisan shops and communes, reflecting the economic activity of the street, once confused with Merciere Street before the mid-17th century.

The property of the building was attested in 1688 to Stephen II of Goudon and acquired in 1723 by merchant Antoine Pascal. Its construction could go back to the first half of the 17th century, attributed to Étienne I de Goudon, grenetier to the salt attic of Pézenas, although a remodelling of an earlier building (late Middle Ages or early 16th century) was suggested by certain architectural elements, such as a cross with arched leggings. The rue des Orfèvres, bordered by goldsmiths and artisans, bears witness to the commercial dynamism of Pézenas at that time.

Ranked Historic Monument in 2004 for its facades, roofs and the entire first floor, the building embodies the local civil heritage. Its interior decoration, especially the murals and ceilings, highlights the refinement of the bourgeois residences of Piscene. Although its documented history remains fragmented, its link with the Goudon and Pascal families, as well as with local craftsmanship, makes it a major social and architectural marker.

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