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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The building located at 10 rue des Hospitalières-Saint-Gervais, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, dates from the 1st quarter of the 19th century. This building is distinguished by two masks of bronze oxen, decorative elements coming from the former fountain of the market of white coats. These masks, resettled on its facade, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by decree of 27 July 1970, highlighting their heritage value and their connection to Parisian urban history.

The construction of this building is attributed to Edme Gaulle, who is identified as the master of the archives. Owned by the commune of Paris, the building illustrates the civil architecture of its time, while integrating sculptural elements inherited from an earlier heritage. The location in the Marais, a neighborhood full of history, reinforces its interest, although the current cartographic accuracy is considered fair (note 5/10).

The bronze masks, originally associated with the fountain of white coats, bear witness to artistic re-employment practices under the Restoration or the Monarchy of July. Their preservation on a private facade reflects a desire to preserve material traces of missing public facilities. The building, although modest in appearance, thus embodies an unknown stratum of the Parisian heritage, where there is a cross between urban history and the memory of trades (the beef evoking the old halls and butcheries).

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