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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The House of the General States, located in Chinon, is an emblematic building of the 14th and 15th centuries. Its stone facade, with a turret in preserved corbellation, reflects its historical importance. Although modified over the centuries (redesigned openings on the ground floor, iron balcony added to the first floor), it preserves remains of the 12th or 13th centuries, as well as a gable decoration dating back to the early 16th century. Wall paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries are also present.

This building would have hosted major events: the death of Richard Coeur de Lion in 1199 (according to a tradition not confirmed by contemporary sources) and the meeting of the General States by Charles VII in 1427 and 1428. Transformed into hotels under the Green Lion signs (from 1521) and the Golden Ball (early 19th century), it now houses the Museum of Friends of Old Chinon. Ranked a historic monument in 1926, it was restored in 1970, although parts, such as the west wing, disappeared around 1850.

Successive changes (XVIIIth century, 1970) and modern architectural interpretations complicate the reading of its history. Despite these transformations, the house remains a symbol of Chinon's political and commercial functions at the end of the Middle Ages. Its inscription in the inventory of historical monuments in 1926 underlines its heritage value, reinforced by its association with the Le Carroi Museum, dedicated to art and local history.

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