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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Maison des Têtes de Metz is a Renaissance-style mansion built in 1529 in En Providerue Street, in the heart of Metz. It owes its name to the five carved heads adorning its facade, representing three men and two women, probably famous local figures. These sculptures, now replaced by copies, bear witness to the delight of the Messina bourgeoisie, enriched since the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Four of the originals are preserved at the Gold Court Museum, while the fifth is at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

The building of this house was commissioned by Jean Aubry, an easy goldsmith, whose father-in-law, Boissard, is considered a precursor of local archaeology. The foundations, dug in 1529, revealed major ancient remains, including Gallo-Roman statues, steles and paved stones, from the ancient Decumani, a strategic Roman road linking Reims to Strasbourg. These discoveries, integrated into the interior courtyard decoration, were partially offered to the municipal library in 1843 by a later owner, Mr. Laporte. A Gallo-Roman bas-relief, representing savages fighting lions, always adorns the entrance pediment.

The house illustrates the architectural transition between medieval hotels and Renaissance residences, with floors retaining features from the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. Ranked a historic monument in 1929, its facade was raised after the development of the Saint-Jacques centre. The entrance door and stair turret also have a high relief representing a lion hunt, symbol of prestige. Its location, near the Gallic oppidum Divodurum, underscores its anchoring in the millennial history of Metz, between ancient heritage and artistic renewal.

The House of the Heads is part of an ostentatious rivalry among the Messina elite, which erected sumptuous homes to display its economic power. The "Supplierue", a major artery since antiquity, was then concentrated artisans, merchants and notables, benefiting from the strategic position of Metz, a commercial crossroads between the Kingdom of France and the Germanic territories. Archaeological discoveries during its construction confirm the historical importance of this area, where Roman, medieval and reborn remains were superimposed.

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