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Origin and history

This house, located in the town of Richelieu, is one of the buildings built according to the regular urban plan imagined by Cardinal Richelieu. The latter, born in the original village, entrusted the architect Jacques Lemercier with the mission of transforming the place into an ideal city, with ditches, walls of enclosure, monumental doors and symmetrical streets. The house, with its wing in return on Traversière Street, was built around 1636, although its present appearance is the result of many subsequent changes, such as the addition of entresols or the construction of an 18th century dwelling in the communes.

The plot was originally allocated to Lecoeur, attorney of the Duchy-Payrie of Richelieu. The latter, not wishing to settle there, did not launch the construction, thus allowing the resumption of the lot. The current building, although modified, retains original elements such as its façade and roof, protected by an inscription order in 1932. The house is part of a coherent architectural ensemble, reflecting the cardinal's urban ambition and the influence of French classical architecture.

The city of Richelieu, conceived as a rational urban model, illustrates the principles of symmetry and order dear to the seventeenth century. Aligned houses, like this one, had to meet strict aesthetic standards, while sheltering residential and sometimes administrative functions. The modern stairway in the back wing and the rear fittings reflect the successive adaptations of the building to the needs of its occupants, while preserving its historical character in part.

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