House à La Rochelle en Charente-Maritime

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at 10 rue du Mining in La Rochelle is an example of 17th and 18th century civil architecture. It is distinguished by its posterior courtyard, accessible from the street, and its internal organization: a lateral corridor leads to a staircase located in a wing bordering the courtyard, itself extended by a second wing. The facade on the street side has a basement and two square floors, while on the courtyard side it has three, with an elevation consisting of two asymmetrical spans (one wide, the other narrow). Like all the houses on the street, it has arcades, a characteristic element of the local building.

The façade bears the date of 1778, attesting to work or renovation during this period. The staircase, preserved in its original state, was formerly accessible by two arches overlooking the courtyard, now modified. The facade arcade was listed as a Historic Monument by order of 27 June 1928, highlighting its heritage interest. The exact location (8 or 10 rue du Mining) reflects slightly divergent sources, but confirms its anchoring in the historic centre of La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime.

This house illustrates the adaptation of urban dwellings to the constraints of the port city, where the internal courtyards allowed both privacy and space optimization. Its plan, with wings in return, was common for the affluent homes of the time, mixing residential and possibly commercial functions (archcades often housing stalls). The preservation of stairs and elevations is a rare testimony of the constructive techniques of the 17th and 18th centuries in the region.

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