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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The corbelling house of the 3 Grande-Rue in Riez, classified as Historic Monument, illustrates the average urban habitat of the city in the 15th and 17th centuries. It consists of two bodies of buildings framed by a courtyard illuminating a spiral staircase, typical of Provencal civil architecture. Under its corbellation, an intersecting ceiling decorated with heraldic gypsum motifs, dating back to the 15th century, bears witness to the care taken in interior decoration, reflecting the social status of its original occupants.

In the 17th century, the house underwent partial reconstruction, as evidenced by the gypsum decorations of the screw staircase and the rooms of the floors, dating from the first half of this century. These elements, combined with the medieval structure, offer a rare example of architectural evolution over centuries. Despite its partial collapse in 2012 and subsequent deconstruction, the building was fully protected by decree of 19 January 1999, stressing its heritage importance.

The location of this house, in the heart of Riez in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, is part of an urban context marked by a Roman and then medieval history. The city, the former administrative capital of the ancient city of the Reii Apolinienses, preserves traces of its prosperous past, where the corbelled houses such as this one housed local artisans, merchants or notables. These buildings, often adjoining, structured a dense urban fabric, organized around narrow streets and public squares, reflecting an active community life.

The screw staircase, the central element of the house, facilitated traffic between floors while optimizing space, a characteristic common in medieval urban dwellings. The gypsum decorations, both heraldic and geometric, reveal the influence of the artistic currents of the Provencal Renaissance, where interior ornamentation was used to display richness and prestige. The runner played a functional and aesthetic role, providing light and ventilation in a compact built environment.

The listing of the house in the historic monument inventory in 1999 recognized its value as a witness to constructive techniques and lifestyles of the 15th and 17th centuries. Its collapse in 2012, followed by its deconstruction, represents a significant loss for Riez's architectural heritage, although archives and photographs help preserve its memory. This case illustrates the challenges of preserving old buildings, often vulnerable to time hazards and economic constraints.

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