Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house of Saint-Rémy is a mansion built in 1698 in Cherves-Richemont, in the Charente department. This building, typical of the classical architecture of the late seventeenth century, is distinguished by its body of rectangular houses flanked by two raised square pavilions of one floor. The flat, elegantly curved tile roof and the five skylights decorated with curved or triangular frontons on the garden façade make this a remarkable example of the style of the era. The entrance door, framed by ionic pilasters, and the richly decorated facades underline its noble character.

In 1698, Theodore-Jonas de Roxel, the king's lieutenant-ship, acquired the noble land and woods of Saint-Rémy, marking the beginning of the documented history of the house. Although the building changed owners several times thereafter, no major changes altered its original architecture. The facades and roofs were included in the inventory of historic monuments on 25 June 1979, thus recognizing their heritage value.

Interior of the house partially preserved elements of the era, including 18th century limestone fireplaces, decorated with rock motifs, as well as panelling and an alcove in the small living room. The building, oriented on a north-east/south-west axis, is organized around a closed courtyard accessible by a cochère door. The symmetry of the garden façade, rhythmized by pilasters and angle chains, reflects the order and balance advocated by classical architecture.

The residence of Saint-Rémy is part of a regional context marked by the construction of numerous seigneurial houses and master houses in Charente, showing local prosperity and the influence of rural elites under the Old Regime. These residences, often surrounded by agricultural land or wood, played a central role in the social and economic organization of the countryside.

External links