Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The House Desprez is an urban dwelling built between 1510 and 1520, as attested by the dendrochronology, for the Desprez family, which remained the owner of it until the middle of the 16th century. Its narrow facade, typical of medieval houses, is distinguished by a sculpted decoration on the poles and sandstones, a strip of diamond wood, and an overhang of the floors. The pediment-pignon dormitory, illuminating the attic, and the arches in a braid of the sandstone on the ground floor (restored in 1995) bear witness to its original prestige. At the back, the shale ground floor probably supported wood-pan floors, replaced in the 18th century by tuffle walls during an elevation.

The house changed hands several times: it passed by marriage to Étienne Regnard, a drapier merchant, then was sold in 1559 to canon Jean de la Barre. In the 17th century, it belonged to Pierre Goubault, master surgeon. In the 18th century, major changes transformed the posterior elevation, raised the height, and added Louis XVI elements such as the guardrails of the bays. In 1769 the house was occupied by the artisan tailor Pignan. Classified as a Historical Monument in 1921 for its façade, the house was restored in 1995 to find elements of the sixteenth century, such as the windows and the polychromy of sculptures.

The architecture of Desprez House illustrates the evolution of constructive techniques between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Its wood section, typical of Anjou, contrasts with the 18th century tuft reconstructions, reflecting changing tastes and functional needs. The traces of polychromy and carved decorations recall the high social status of its first owners, merchants or clergy. The restoration of 1995, by deleting later additions (such as the Louis XVI balcony), sought to regain the original aspect, while preserving marks of different eras, such as dates painted in Roman numerals (MCMXCV).

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