Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of Knights, located in Pont-Saint-Esprit in Occitanie, is a medieval mansion built from the 12th century. Originally composed of two small houses gathered around 1190-1200, it was transformed into a unique house with a facade on the street. Its current name comes from a misinterpretation of the 19th century, wrongly evoking a resting place for Templar knights. Archaeological surveys revealed its real origins: a residence of the Piolenc family, influential traders in the Rhône valley.

In the 14th century, around 1340, the Piolencs added a royal justice room, decorated with a frame decorated with blazons and fantastic motifs. In 1450 Guillaume de Piolenc had two rooms built with painted ceilings, one of which still retains a geometric wall decoration. These spaces, exceptionally well preserved, bear witness to the fascination of this family which occupied the place until the 18th century. A restoration campaign (1993–1995) helped restore the architectural coherence of the building, after divisions and mutilations in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Ranked a historic monument in 1992 and acquired by the Gard department in 1988, the house has been home since 1995 to the Museum of Sacred Art of Gard. This secular museum, free since 2006, explores religious heritage through various collections (Egyptian objects, medieval reliquaries, ceramics). It is also a research centre, notably on the Order of Chartreux, and offers temporary exhibitions combining contemporary art and historical pieces.

The archaeological excavations of 1990 revealed key elements of its evolution, such as a 14th century detritus pit containing everyday objects (ceramics, luxurious dishes) and coins. An inventory of 1322, from the family archives, details the home's movable and immovable property. These discoveries, coupled with the study of painted decorations (blasons, bestiary), make this site a major medieval ensemble of the lower Rhône valley.

The building illustrates four distinct architectural phases: the meeting of the two primitive houses (XII century), the addition of the justice room (XIVe), the construction of the halls of the building (1450), and modern transformations. The painted ceilings, ranked among the most remarkable in the region, as well as the medieval courtyard, offer a rare testimony of Provencal aristocratic life. The museum, labeled "Musée de France", is part of a national network dedicated to sacred art and spirituality.

Future

Since its opening to the public in July 1995, the Musée d'art sacré du Gard has claimed itself as a secular museum of sacred art.

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