Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The turret house, located 16-20 Place de la République in Saint-Astier (Dordogne), is a remarkable example of 16th century civil architecture. It is characterized by an arcade on the ground floor, allowing the passage of the street, and a turret in corbelled with a pointed roof. This type of construction reflects the urban needs of the era, where wood-paned or stone houses often incorporated passages to fluidize traffic in medieval city centres.

The turret, an element protected by decree of December 6, 1948, presents sculpted details typical of the Renaissance: a pediment and two columns frame a window, testifying to the influence of Italian artistic currents in France at this time. These ornaments, though discreet, emphasize the probably easy social status of the original owner. The house, although partially modified over the centuries, thus preserves tangible traces of its past and its role in the urban fabric of Saint-Astier.

Classified as a Historical Monument for its stair turret (cadastre J 189), this house also illustrates the challenges of preserving the vernacular heritage. Its exact location, although documented (Mérimée address and approximate GPS coordinates), suffers from limited accuracy (note of 5/10), reflecting the difficulties sometimes encountered in accurately locating older buildings in heritage databases.

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