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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house at 34 Blanqui Street in Tours is an emblematic building of wood-paned architecture, mixing elements from the 15th and 17th centuries. Originally built in the 15th century, it was enlarged two centuries later, incorporating wooden exterior staircases and galleries characteristic of the urban houses of the time. Its facades, partially covered with slate before a recent restoration, reveal today geometric patterns in diamonds filled with bricks, typical of the region.

The house has been partially listed as a historic monument since 23 August 1946, covering its north and south facades, galleries, roofs, and a stone fireplace on the first floor, decorated with ancient graffiti. This 15th century fireplace suggests an older occupation of the site. The interior distribution, with a gallery staircase along the courtyard, is found in other houses in the suburbs of Tours, such as 112-116 rue Blanqui or 26 rue André Duchesne.

Located in the Old Towers, the house is located in a historic district where Blanqui Street extends the Grande Rue, the main axis of the city since Antiquity. This route, once the main commercial artery, followed the route of an ancient road along the Loire. The house thus illustrates the urban evolution of Tours, between the Middle Ages and the modern era, with its successive extensions and its adaptations to residential and artisanal needs.

The protected elements also include the facades and roofs of the adjoining buildings, as well as panels of wood organized in various patterns (losanges, grids, cross of St.Andre). These architectural details, combined with the presence of wooden galleries and a covered passage, reflect both medieval and Renaissance influences. The recent restoration has made it possible to find the original appearance of the facades, released from their slate coating.

Although the house is not systematically open to the visit, its state of conservation and location make it a point of interest for the heritage routes of Tours. The sources available, including the references of the Mérimée base and the works of Jean-Mary Couderc or Robert Ranjard, underline its importance in the tourism heritage. Its inscription as historical monuments in 1946 bears witness to its architectural and historical value, in a context where the Touraine preserved many civil buildings from the 15th and 17th centuries.

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