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Origin and history

The House of the King of Pont-Saint-Esprit is an emblematic monument located in the Gard, in the Occitan region. Built mainly in the 16th century under Francis I, it was the seat of the rectors of the Work of the Bridge and a place of justice for vigoers and consuls. A salamander, symbol of the king, adorns its consoles, testifying to its connection with the French monarchy.

Twelve kings of France stayed there, including John the Good, Charles VI and Louis XIII. The large room on the ground floor, which was opened on the Rhône by four sling windows, served as a meeting place for the Languedoc States six times between 1517 and 1610. The tower of the staircase, with its hexagonal screw, and the carved lamp-ends recall its past prestige.

Partially rebuilt in the 19th century, the House of the King preserves medieval elements such as its ogival vault and its beams ceiling redone in the 17th century. Enlisted as a historical monument in 1946, it embodies the political and architectural history of the region, between royal power and local administration.

Today, 2 Avenue Pasteur, it remains a symbol of Pont-Saint-Esprit's heritage, combining judicial, residential and protocol functions. Its monumental staircase and facades on the Rhone make it a remarkable building of the French Renaissance in Languedoc.

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