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Key figures

Origin and history

The house called "Le Mouton à cinq pièces" is a 16th-century building in Saint-Étienne, in the Loire department. It is distinguished by its 1.30 meter corbellation, its two floors levelled and an additional floor. Built in wood with an oak frame and a filling of brick and lime mortar, it illustrates the adaptation of medieval techniques to urban constraints. The facade, with no decor, has a sill window occupying almost the entire width of the floors, while the hollow tile roof covers the whole.

Built along the old rue de la Roche (current rue du Théâtre), inside the city's ramparts, this house was first mentioned in 1582 in the Seillion Burrow as property of Claude Granger. In the 18th century, it passed into the hands of Jean-Baptiste Dupré, born of a family of metal engravers, then Claude Duplex in 1767. The 19th century cadastral archives reveal a succession of owners, including Claude Rivolon (1864), Jean Rivolon (1884), and Marie Landon widow Chorel (1890), reflecting his mixed use (housing and commerce). In 1947, it belonged to Moses Cohen.

The projecting screw staircase, built of sandstone, serves the floors via a side aisle, while the back yard, now covered, bears witness to the rear fittings. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1982 for its facades and roofs, this house embodies the architectural and social evolution of Saint-Étienne, between crafts, commerce and dense urban habitat. No trace of original decoration is visible, but its structure retains characteristic elements of medieval houses adapted to urban life.

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