Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house of Marguerite de Valois, also known as the house of Marguerite de Navarre, is a 16th century building located in Tusson, Charente. It rests on a fragment of the 14th century fortified enclosure and preserves Renaissance elements such as a facade, two spiral staircases, a fireplace and a cellar. According to tradition, Marguerite d'Angoulême, sister of Francis I, stayed there in 1547 and learned about his brother's death, writing some of his texts, including The Ship.

The house, owned by the commune, was listed as a historical monument in 1994 and restored between 1995 and 2006. Today, it houses the Heritage House, run by the Marpen Club, with a museum featuring furniture, ceramics and interior reconstructions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. A room is dedicated to Marguerite de Navarre, and another to the local history of hemp and weaving. The adjacent monastic garden, labeled "Remarkable Garden" in 2006, recreates a medieval space with aromatic and medicinal plants.

The Marpen Club also maintains ethnological archives, photographs and documents on local heritage. The site offers temporary exhibitions and awareness-raising activities on socio-cultural heritage. Two wells and a vaulted cistern (in the 19th century) bear witness to its architectural history.

Originally, the house was said to have been used as accommodation for Marguerite de Navarre and her successor during her retreats at the Priory of the Ladies. In the 18th century, it was divided into two distinct properties. The street façade, stairs and Renaissance fireplace are the most remarkable elements of this period.

External links