Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Maison de Du Cerceau, located in Orléans in the Centre-Val de Loire, is an emblematic monument of the sixteenth century, although its link with the architect Jacques Ier Androuet du Cerceau remains unproven. Its name, used for more than a century, is based more on local tradition than on tangible historical evidence. The house stands at the corner of Rue Ducerceau and a private impasse, with a facade on street structured in four distinct levels, separated by entrapments.

The ground floor, pierced by two curved arcades and a Renaissance door in carved carpentry (or PAX HUIC inscription), once opened on a staircase corridor. The three upper floors feature a scholarly architectural decor: pilasters with classical superimposed orders (doric, ionic, Corinthian and composite), framing cross-shoes and half-crosses. The bay platforms are enriched with prominent tables, cartridges and wooded squids, while a cornice with crowned patterns is added together. The side façade, on the impasse, resumes the same schedule, with blind berries coated.

Classified as a Historic Monument by order of 28 July 1928 for its façade, the house underwent modern interior modifications partially altering its original state. Its official address, 6 rue Ducerceau, corresponds to Insee code 45234 (Loiret), although GPS coordinates suggest an approximate location at 8 of the same street. The accuracy of its location is considered fair (note 5/10), and its current access (visit, rental) is not documented in available sources.

The building illustrates the influence of the classical Renaissance architecture treaties in the Loire Valley, an area marked by rich civil and religious heritage. However, the lack of evidence regarding its attribution to Du Cerceau makes it a testimony both representative and mysterious of this period, where bourgeois houses combined urban functionality and aesthetic ambition.

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