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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house located at 90 rue Colbert in Tours, in the department of Indre-et-Loire, is an old mansion built in the 18th century. It is distinguished by its eastern façade, whose windows on the first floor are decorated with wrought iron balconies typical of this period. The interior staircase and decorative elements were included in the inventory of historic monuments by order of 8 July 1946, thereby recognizing their heritage value.

The house is located in the historic Old Towers district, along Colbert Street, a major street in the city since ancient times. This route, once the main road between the Basilica of Saint Martin and the Cathedral of Saint-Gatien, concentrates several buildings bearing witness to the civil architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries. The location of the house, north of this street, reflects the urbanization and social importance of this area during this period.

From an architectural point of view, the house has two floors on the ground floor, surmounted by an attic. The wrought iron balconies, characteristic of the eighteenth century, illustrate the know-how of the local artisans of the time. These elements, combined with the protected stairway, underline the probably easy status of the original occupants, although their identity is not mentioned in the available sources.

The partial inscription of the house as a historical monument in 1946 is part of a post-Second World War desire to preserve the French architectural heritage. This measure specifically targets facades (including balconies and vantals of doors) as well as stairwells, which are considered representative of the style and construction techniques of the Touraine Lights century.

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