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Origin and history

The house of the Pilier Saint-Étienne was an old mansion in Chinon, in the department of Indre-et-Loire. Built after 1483, it was attached to the façade of Saint-Étienne's church, which was completed between 1477 and 1483. Its ground floor housed a parchment shop frequented by students from the Royal College of Chinon until the French Revolution. The house, partially classified as a historic monument in 1927, was destroyed in 1975-1976, but its sculpted cornel pilot, representing the stoning of St Stephen, is preserved at the Museum of Friends of Old Chinon.

The façade of the house combined ground wood and bricks, initially covered with a 20th century coating. Its location, north of Saint-Étienne church, marked the corner between Jean-Jacques-Rousseau and Philippe-de-Commines streets. The staircase of the house was contiguous to the church, and an 18th-century fireplace covered an older 15th-century structure. This monument illustrates the medieval civil architecture of Chinon, combining residential, commercial and religious functions.

The horn pilot, a remarkable architectural element, was carved from a scene depicting St Stephen on his knees, struck by a man behind him. This artistic detail, typical of the religious imagery of the time, bears witness to the know-how of the Tourangel artisans. The destruction of the house in 1975 erased a precious medieval heritage, although some elements, such as the pilot, were preserved. Today, its location is occupied by the Henri-Dunant Square, but its history remains documented in local archives and museum collections.

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