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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Villebresme, nicknamed "Maison de Denis Papin" since the beginning of the 20th century, is a Gothic building located at the top of rue Pierre-de-Blois in Blois. Built at the end of the 15th century for a member of the Villebresme family, this house is characterized by its original plan: two houses on both sides of the street, connected by a wooden bridge on the first floor. Although his name refers to Denis Papin, there is no record that he lived there. The façade and the walkway, decorated with splint windows and sculptures (acrobats, drippings), have been protected since 1928.

The walkway, an iconic element, features Latin cross-shaped windows and prismatic mouldings typical of the flamboyant Gothic. The south house, in wooden strips, communicates with the gallery by a corbellation. Originally owned by the Villebresme, linked to the courtyard of Louis XII via Marie de Clèves, the house underwent modifications in the 19th century, including the reduction of its size. Today private property, it illustrates late medieval civil architecture, mixing functionality and carved decor.

The name "Maison de Denis Papin" appears in tourist guides around 1900, without a proven historical foundation. The building, registered with the Historic Monuments in 1928, also bears witness to the urban transformations of Blois, such as the partial integration of a building adjacent to 7 Place Saint-Louis. The cul-de-lampe and the acrobat figures of the consoles recall the influence of the local workshops, active in the area at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries.

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