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Key figures

Origin and history

The house Julia, located in the old medieval district of linen parlors in Perpignan, preserves remains of a 13th century building, revealed by dendrochronological analyses. The patrician residence, built in the early 14th century, was built around an inner courtyard with archatures and a great degree now extinct. Its three levels (ground floor, first floor hall, square tower on top) housed painted ceilings and carved decorations, dated between 1319 and 1364. The columns of the courtyard, decorated with leafy capitals, support brick galleries, while gargoyles evacuate the waters of the upper gallery.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the acquisition of adjacent land allowed the addition of two bodies of building to the north, with interior developments today not very visible. The major transformation took place in the middle of the eighteenth century, when the great medieval degree was replaced by a staircase of honour in wrought iron, with symmetrical volutes and moon-growing patterns. The interiors were then redesigned (false ceilings, chimneys), and the large medieval hall divided into three rooms. The house, owned by the Julia family from 1839, became a rental building, resulting in changes such as the closure of the eastern gallery in the 19th century.

Classified as a Historic Monument in 1889, Julia House was the object of major restorations from 1914, led by architect L. Sallez for owner Henri Jonquères d'Oriola. This work was intended to restore its original character, with reproductions of columns in the courtyard. Archaeological studies carried out in 2001 by Sandrine Conan and Laurent Hernandez have clarified its evolution, from its medieval origins to its modern adaptations, including its role in the lanried parcellar of the district.

The 18th century staircase, with its wrought iron ramp with complex assemblages (volutes in S and C, olives, floral motifs), is a remarkable testimony of local craftsmanship. The court capitals, carved of foliage on two rows, and the rosaces of the tillers illustrate the influence of southern Gothic art. Despite the transformations, the Julia House remains an emblematic example of Catalan civil architecture, mixing medieval heritage and classic embellishments.

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