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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Vic-sur-Cère's house, built in the 2nd half of the 15th century, illustrates late Gothic civil architecture. Its most remarkable element is the circular tower housing a spiral staircase, accessible by an adorned door surmounted by a window. These two openings are joined by an accolade decor, typical of the flamboyant style. The ground footers and carved lintel – embellished with cut leaves – frame a tympanum representing a crowned Virgin bearing the Child, all inscribed under an acute accolade. This iconographic program, although partially erased (slashed shield), is evidence of a neat order, probably linked to a wealthy owner or a local corporation.

Originally, the house had its main elevation to the south, overlooking a garden, with attested lateral access until 1811. In the 19th century (circa 1862), major modifications transformed the street façade into a main entrance, in response to the urbanization of adjacent open spaces. The interior layouts are also evolving: the panelling dates back to the 18th to 19th centuries, while the present partitioning (XX century) divides each floor into two rooms, against only one originally. Only the door, window and sculpted decoration have been protected under the Historic Monuments since 1958, highlighting their exceptional artistic value.

The building reflects the urban transformations of Vic-sur-Cère, a medieval village that has become a commercial hub in Lower Auvergne. The presence of a crowned virgin – a common Marian symbol in pilgrimage areas – may evoke links with the roads to Conques or Le Puy-en-Velay, although there are no sources to confirm this. The modifications of the 19th century meet practical needs (housing, commerce), typical of the adaptation of noble or bourgeois houses to the industrial era. Today, its official address (3 rue Pierre-de-Boissy) and its approximate location (5 rue Pierre de Boissy) reveal a persistence in the urban fabric, despite a cartographic accuracy deemed mediocre (level 6/10).

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