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Origin and history

The Maison des Chevaliers de Viviers, located in the ardéchoise commune of Viviers, is a mansion built in the 16th century by Noël Albert, a wealthy merchant and consul of the city. This building is the result of the restructuring of several medieval houses (some dating from the 14th or 15th century), connected by a vaulted passage over the Rue de la République. The facade, decorated with carved medallions and friezes representing fighting by knights, illustrates the influence of ancient architectural orders (doric, ionic, corinthian).

Noël Albert, converted to Protestantism, was a key player in the religious wars in the region. In 1562 he led the bag of the Cathedral of Viviers before being sentenced to death in 1568 for rebellion against the king. The archives reveal contracts between 1545 and 1559 for the construction of the façade (by Loys Pic), a fireplace, a staircase in screws (by Georges de Vissieux), and galleries on courtyard. The building, classified as a historical monument in 1984, thus bears witness to the market opulence and religious tensions of the sixteenth century.

Interior and exterior decorations combine Gothic re-uses (trilobed lintals, high reliefs) and Renaissance elements, such as the third floor rinsels or the medallions of the first. The house, a property shared between the commune and the private, also preserves 18th century wallpapers, studied for their heritage value. Its history reflects the urban transformations of Viviers, then episcopal city and commercial crossroads between Rhône and Cevennes.

Archaeological and historical sources (congess of the French Archaeology Society, local studies) underline its role in the social and religious history of Vivarais. The hotel, symbol of the economic power of Christmas Albert, also embodies the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics during the Wars of Religion, marked locally by destructions like that of the cathedral in 1562.

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