Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house, located at 38 rue Chaudrier in La Rochelle, dates from the 3rd quarter of the 17th century and features an architecture characteristic of the era. It consists of a deep house body with a lateral wing at the back, structured on two square floors. Its staircase, initially rotating without day between the ground floor and the first floor, becomes rotating with day on the upper floors. The facade, of terciary arrangement, alternates a wide span framed by two narrow spans, while gargoyles, now sawn, once adorned its upper part. An inscription on the façade indicates the date of 1663, confirming its construction period.

The interior preserves traces of an old staircase tower, suggested by a rounded wall located in the middle of the plot. The current stairs, however, date from the 19th century, just like the rear lateral wing, added later. The house is lined with arched porches, a remarkable architectural element that justified its inscription in the Historical Monuments by order of 14 June 1928. These arcades, typical of the rock heritage, reflect the importance of covered spaces in the urbanisation of the period.

The location of the house, in the historic center of La Rochelle, is located in a neighborhood marked by the harbour and commercial activity of the seventeenth century. Porch houses, such as this one, often served as storage places, housing for merchants, or sociability spaces. Their preservation bears witness to the adaptation of buildings to the economic and social needs of the city, between architectural tradition and urban evolution.

External links