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Origin and history

The house of Richelieu, built in the seventeenth century, is part of the ambitious urban project of Cardinal Richelieu, who wanted to transform his native village into a model city. The plans were drawn by architect Jacques Lemercier, known for his work on the Château de Richelieu, and the city adopted a rigorous geometrical layout, with ditches, ramparts, monumental gates and symmetrical streets lined with aligned houses. This private hotel, erected in 1633, was commissioned by Philippe Aguesseau, receiver general of the clergy, and created by the entrepreneur Jean Barbet according to Lemercier's drawings.

On the original plan of 1633, the hotel had a courtyard closed by buildings crossed by an axial alley, now missing. The entry gate, unique in its kind, was distinguished by its fluted pilasters and ionic capitals, rare architectural elements for the time. In the 19th century, the premises were thoroughly redesigned, then occupied by a Christian school of girls, thus altering the original structure. Despite these changes, the façade and the roof on the street, as well as the front on the courtyard, were protected by inscriptions to the Historical Monuments in 1932 and 1992.

The monument illustrates the urbanistic ambition of Cardinal Richelieu, which aimed to create a harmonious and functional city, reflecting its power and influence. The house, although modified, retains traces of this visionary project, combining architectural classicism and rigorous spatial organization. Its history also reflects the successive adaptations of historic buildings to the changing needs of the following centuries, from its initial residential function to its subsequent educational use.

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