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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The house at 10 Albert I Street in La Rochelle is a representative example of civil architecture from the 3rd quarter of the 18th century. It is characterized by its arcade porches, remarkable architectural elements that led to its inscription as Historic Monument. These arcades, protected by decree of 14 June 1928, bear witness to the importance attached to aesthetics and the functionality of facades in the port cities of the time.

La Rochelle, a major port town on the Atlantic coast, was experiencing economic growth linked to maritime trade. Arcade houses, like this one, often served as places of residence for merchants or shipowners, while sometimes sheltering commercial activities on the ground floor. Their layout in the porch allowed both to protect passersby from the weather and to structure the urban space, reflecting a social and economic organization typical of the port cities of the eighteenth century.

The inscription of the arcades in 1928 underlines the heritage value of this monument, although the accuracy of its location is considered mediocre (note of 5/10). This late protection, almost a century and a half after its construction, illustrates the evolution of heritage preservation policies in France, marked by a gradual awareness of the need to preserve the architectural testimonies of ancient periods.

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