Creation of the city of Richelieu 1631-1642 (période estimée) (≈ 1637)
Urban plan drawn by Jacques Lemercier.
9 juin 1932
Registration Historic Monument
Registration Historic Monument 9 juin 1932 (≈ 1932)
Front and roof protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Facade and roof: inscription by decree of 9 June 1932
Key figures
Cardinal de Richelieu - City commander
Initiator of the urban project.
Jacques Lemercier - Architect
Designer of Richelieu plans.
Origin and history
The house of Richelieu is part of an ambitious urban project initiated by Cardinal de Richelieu, who wanted to transform his native village into a model city. The plans were designed by architect Jacques Lemercier, known for his work on the Château de Richelieu, and applied according to a rigorous geometry: ditches, ramparts, monumental gates, and a network of symmetrical streets lined with aligned houses. This project reflected the ideals of order and grandeur dear to the minister of Louis XIII.
The façade and roof of this house were protected by a decree of inscription under the title of Historical Monuments on 9 June 1932. This classification reflects the heritage value of the building, representative of 17th century civil architecture in a new town designed ex nihilo. The precise address, 6 place des Religieux, confirms its integration into the historic heart of Richelieu, today classified.
Richelieu's creation context is part of a period when the great lords, like the cardinal, modelled the territory in their image. The city, with its uniform houses and defensive infrastructures, illustrates a desire for spatial and social control. The buildings, although private, were part of a collective aesthetic in the service of central power, mixing residential utility and political symbolism.
