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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house of the doctor Huvé, located at 10 rue Noël-Ballay (formerly rue du Grand-Cerf) in Chartres, is an emblematic building of the early 16th century. Awarded to architect Philibert Delorme, it is distinguished by its entrance gate topped by two floors, with sill windows decorated with columns and cariatides. A cartridge on the facade, written in Latin, indicates that it was built for Claude Huvé, a doctor, to "beautify the city and for posterity".

The building includes a passage leading to a vaulted vestibule, a staircase and an inner courtyard giving access to the main house. Although the ground floor, second floor and gable have undergone changes over the centuries, the structure retains major architectural elements of the Renaissance. The house was classified as a historic monument in 1862, highlighting its heritage importance.

Today, the Huvé doctor's house houses a bookshop, perpetuating its anchoring in the cultural life of charm. His history is documented in 19th-century works, such as those of Eugene de Buchère de Lépinois, and local archives. The building illustrates both the art of living of the Renaissance learned bourgeoisie and the urban evolution of Chartres, a city marked by its medieval and reborn heritage.

Claude Huvé (1505–1570), a cartrain physician, is the sponsor of this residence. The Latin cartridge on the facade celebrates its role in the construction of the building, mixing personal ambition and contribution to the beautification of the city. Philibert Delorme, renowned architect of the French Renaissance, is traditionally associated with his conception, although this attribution remains debated by historians.

The protection of the house as early as 1862, among the first historical monuments classified in France, bears witness to its architectural and symbolic value. Subsequent modifications did not alter its Renaissance character, preserving details such as the cariatids and columns of the sill windows. Its historic address, rue du Grand-Cerf, also reflects the evolution of the cartrain urban fabric.

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