Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The old hall of Luynes is an emblematic 15th century building, built in the old centre of Luynes, on the edge of the castle's moat. Oriented east-west, it integrates into a medieval urban fabric, connected to the castle by a staircase once spanning the ditches. This monument, originally composed of eleven spans, illustrates the turangelle civil architecture of the epoch, with a central nave flanked by two sides of uneven width.

In the 17th century, under the impetus of Louis-Charles d'Albert de Luynes, two western spans were transformed into a courthouse, also serving as a guardroom and town hall during the Revolution. These arrangements, including a mansard floor, partially alter the original structure. In 1913, the judicial section was demolished to give way to a festive hall, reducing the building to four spans and permanently altering its medieval appearance.

Ranked a historic monument in 1930, the hall retains its original market function in the 21st century. Its frame, built with recovery wood and resting on stone dice, peaks at 15 meters. Although seven spans have disappeared (two to the east, five to the west), it remains a rare testimony of the wooden halls of Touraine, many of which disappeared with the arrival of the railway.

The tradition attributes its construction to Hardouin IX, Baron of Maillé, although this paternity is based on undocumented accounts. The successive changes reflect the urban and judicial developments of Luynes, from its role as a medieval exchange place to its adaptation to modern needs, while preserving its status as a communal good.

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