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Origin and history

The house of Inès de Llad, located on Rue Saint-Jean in Villefranche-de-Conflent, dates from the 13th century and has a facade characteristic of this era. At its base, two broken arches of finely assembled stone, separated by a haze, dominate the entrance. These architectural elements, without a chamfer, contrast with the upper floors built of more modest materials. A pink marble lintel, vestige of an old geminied window, remains between the two bays, emphasizing the care taken to the initial construction.

Fifteen years after the annexation of the Roussillon to France (1659), this house became the meeting place of the conjured Miquelets or Angelets, mountain people rebelled against the French occupation. Inès de Llad, 18 years old, looted a plot to massacre the local garrison. She took a French officer and revealed the project to the authorities. His father was executed for treason, and his family went into exile in Spain. The facade and roof, protected since 1965, today recall this dramatic episode of local history.

The building illustrates the persistent tensions after the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), where the Catalan population, divided between loyalty to the French Crown and resistance, used discreet places like this house to organize its actions. Architecture, blending stone and modest materials, also reflects the social hierarchies of the time, between urban elites and rural populations. The protection of the monument in 1965 underscores its heritage importance, both architectural and memorial.

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