Creation of the city of Richelieu 1631-1642 (environ) (≈ 1637)
Transformation of the village into a model city by the cardinal.
9 juin 1932
Front protection and roofing
Front protection and roofing 9 juin 1932 (≈ 1932)
Registration for Historical Monuments.
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 - Sponsor and founder
Initiator of the city and its urban plan.
Jacques Lemercier - Chief Architect
Designer of city plans.
Origin and history
The house in Richelieu is part of the ambitious urban project launched by Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century. Born in this village, he decided to transform it into a model city, entrusting the plans to architect Jacques Lemercier, known for his work at the castle. The geometric plot, with its ditches, ramparts, monumental gates and symmetrical streets, reflects a desire of order and magnitude, typical of the classical urbanism of the time.
The aligned houses, like that of the place of the Religious, were designed to fit into this rigorous plan. Their architectural uniformity, with facades and roofs protected by 1932, bears witness to the preserved heritage of this ideal city. Richelieu thus became an early example of a new city in France, mixing military function (wall of enclosure) and monumental aesthetics, under the direct influence of its founder.
The inscription of the facades and roofs of this house by order of 9 June 1932 underlines its heritage value. This partial ranking reflects the importance attached to the preservation of the visible elements of rich town planning, marked by the cardinal's central vision. Today, this monument offers a concrete testimony to the political and artistic ambitions of the seventeenth century, where architecture and power intertwined to shape the landscape.
