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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house at 12 Church Street in Ensisheim, in the Upper Rhine (Great East), is a rare testimony of civil architecture of the late 15th century. Built around 1496, as attests the date engraved on the lintel of the door of the stair turret, it combines materials typical of the region: brick for the main body, stoneware for the annexes, and wooden panels for part of the barn. The stair turret, with a polygonal arrow, and the shielded gate with the weapons of Ensisheim and the inscription "ANNO DOMINI" are the most remarkable elements, protected since 1935.

The building underwent major changes, notably on its front façade overlooking the street, while the back was later enlarged. Only the door of the stair turret remained intact, maintaining its original appearance with its heraldic decorations. These weapons suggest a link with the city of Ensisheim, then prosperous thanks to its market and strategic position in Alsace. The house thus illustrates the mixture of late Gothic influences and local constructive techniques, characteristic of the Alsatian villages on the eve of the Renaissance.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 15 February 1935, the property officially protects only the gate dated 1496, although the entire building bears witness to the urban history of Ensisheim. The accuracy of its location is estimated "passable" (note 5/10), and its exact address (12 rue de l'Eglise) corresponds to the data of the Merimée database. No information is available on its current accessibility (visits, accommodation) or possible historical owners.

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