Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

This 18th-century house in Nîmes features a variety of architectural features, including Gothic remains on the first floor. A geminied window, with a carved lintel of a false trilobed archature adorned with roses, bears witness to this ancient period. The column, profiled in almond and surmounted by a double-row foliage capital, adds to the decorative richness of the building.

The balcony of the rue de l'Horloge is distinguished by its straight, rounded-back style, consisting of a central panel and two curved side panels. Its main pattern, a large multiple spiral wrapping four unequal petals, is prolonged by asymmetrical volutes. The side panels incorporate similar provisions, but without grid, creating a visual balance despite the absence of strict symmetry.

On Grand Convent Street, another wrought iron balcony features a symmetrical composition around an oval central medallion. S-shaped volutes and fillings, assembled by a common eye, adorn this right panel extended by curved returns. The symmetry, strictly respected, extends to the side panels, contrasting with the asymmetry of the balcony of the rue de l'Horloge.

The protected elements of this house, including the two wrought iron balconies, were inscribed in the Historical Monuments by order of 4 March 1964. Their approximate location is indicated between Rue du Grand-Couvent and Rue de l'Horloge, although geographical accuracy is considered poor (note of 5/10).

The oldest known owner of this house dates back to 1602, well before the 18th century changes. These later transformations were able to preserve certain Gothic elements, offering a rare testimony of architectural evolution over centuries.

The balconies, major works of ironwork, illustrate the artisanal know-how of the period. Their style, both baroque and classical, reflects artistic influences in vogue in southern France in the 18th century, while integrating older motifs inherited from the Middle Ages.

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