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Heritage classified

Origin and history

The house at 131bis and 131ter de la Grande Rue in Besançon is a 17th century civil building. It illustrates the domestic architecture of this period in a city then marked by its strategic and commercial role in Franche-Comté. Its facades on the street, characteristic of bourgeois or artisanal buildings of the period, were protected by a decree of inscription under the title of Historical Monuments on 27 October 1937.

The building is now owned by an association, although its current use (visits, rental, accommodation) is not specified in the available sources. The location, noted as "passable" (level 5/10) in the Merimée base, corresponds to the historic address of the Grande Rue, major artery of Besançon. This type of house bears witness to urban lifestyles under the Old Regime, where the narrow and deep facades reflected both the fragmented constraints and the social status of their occupants.

The region, then integrated into the county of Burgundy, was undergoing a period of reconstruction and beautification after the 16th century wars. The houses of that time were often used as a place of residence, a place of commerce (shops on the ground floor) or a workshop for artisans. Their preservation offers an overview of local constructive techniques, such as the use of limestone, and stylistic influences from Burgundy or neighbouring Switzerland.

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