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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The log house, located at 34 Voltaire Street in Chinon (Indre-et-Loire), is a medieval house built between the 14th and 15th centuries. It is locally nicknamed "blue house" because of the slates that cover its walls, contrasting with the nearby "red house". Its location, at the corner of rue Jeanne-d'Arc and the Grand Carroi, makes it a witness to the medieval town planning of Chinon, these places being then major commercial axes.

The façade of the house retains its original appearance, although its ground floor has been partially covered in stone. A local tradition reports that Jeanne d'Arc, on his arrival in Chinon, used the margin of an adjacent well to descend horse before staying in a nearby inn. This margin, withdrawn in the 19th century, was subsequently reconstituted. The house has been listed as a historic monument since November 12, 1926.

The wooden panels on the floors, initially apparent, are now protected by a slate coating. Their marked corbellation and the alignment of the bays are characteristic of the Tourangelle architecture. The house thus illustrates medieval construction techniques while bearing the trace of subsequent transformations, such as the stone staircase turret added on the side façade.

Historical sources, including Wikipedia and Monumentum references, highlight its heritage importance. The house is cited in specialized works such as the Dictionnaire des communes de Touraine (1987) and Patrimoine des communes d'Indre-et-Loire (2001), confirming its role in local history. Its present state, although modified, remains a remarkable example of the medieval civil structure in Val de Loire.

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