Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house located at 1 rue des Trois-Églises in Riquewihr is an emblematic building of the Alsatian heritage, dating from the 1st quarter of the 16th century with renovations to the 2nd quarter of the 18th century. It is distinguished by its wood-pan structure, typical of late medieval architecture, and its two-storey corbellations. The arond tail assemblies and saw teeth, as well as the intertwined guettes, bear witness to exceptional craftsmanship. The house is mentioned for the first time in 1510 under the property of a named Scherer, then the tailor Ulrich Meder.

The ground floor, in sandstone, bears an engraved date of 1727 on a lintel, indicating a major transformation campaign. In the 18th century, this level housed a bakery until 1912. The house suffered damage during the war, and its wood strip, initially masked by a crepe, was developed after its suppression in 1967. Restorations have concerned the roof and some parts of the castration, although no original window remains. An old bay in the middle of a hanger, vestige of a probable butcher arch, is visible on the facade overlooking the rue du Général-de-Gaulle.

Classified as a historical monument since 1984 for its facades and roofs, this house illustrates the architectural and artisanal evolution of Riquewihr, Alsatian wine village. Its gable on the street and its lateral drip reflect the urban adaptations of medieval houses to the constraints of narrow plots. The dendrochronology dated its woodpan from 1480, confirming its seniority and importance in the local historical fabric.

The building thus combines defensive (corbelling) and commercial elements (butterfly arcade), typical of the prosperous villages of Alsace in the Renaissance. Its history also reflects economic changes, from a private residence to an artisanal use (boulangerie), before becoming a protected heritage symbol. Construction techniques, such as discharges parallel to chevrons, highlight the ingenuity of the carpenters of the time.

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