Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 8 rue Viollet-le-Duc in Narbonne is a composite building, combining Gallo-Roman elements and a 17th century structure. It is part of an island formerly called Île de l'Hôpital de la Croix, a hospital foundation certified in 1377 and still mentioned in 1631 and 1639. This ensemble, which also housed the Logis du Mati Royal, was partially rebuilt between 1576 and 1641, when the gate, the courtyard gates and the stairway were erected.

The gate, decorated with light bosses contrasting with the dark stones, features scabs carved with fruits and vegetables. A broken pediment, once intended to frame a cartridge now disappeared, was replaced in the 20th century by two shields found in the garden. The inner courtyard, accessible by a covered passage, houses a staircase with a gallery supported by a arched portal in the middle, decorated with striking keys. The walls incorporate ancient stones discovered on site, including a bas-relief representing a galley, a witness to the Gallo-Roman occupation.

The present building is the result of the merger of two houses between 1576 and 1641, a pivotal period when Narbonne, the strategic town of Languedoc, saw coexist antique heritages and Baroque architectural renewal. The portal and court elements have been protected since 1946 as Historic Monuments, highlighting their heritage value. The approximate location (accuracy noted 5/10) and the lack of data on current usage limit the practical information, but the sources (Monumentum) confirm its anchoring in the hospital and urban history of the city.

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