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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Malaval House is a historic residence located in Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance, in the Aveyron department, in the Occitanie region. Built mainly in the 16th and 18th centuries, it is distinguished by its 30 meters long facade, built directly on the rock. The ensemble includes a two-storey house body, surrounded by commons, and a central tower housing a chapel and an additional bedroom. The original splints, preserved in the tower, once decorated all the windows before being removed in the 18th century. The house, built on ancient medieval ramparts, belonged to a family of nobility of robes, whose members were royal judges in Saint-Sernin.

The house preserves several remarkable elements, including an 18th-century staircase, woodwork and solar ceilings, as well as 16th and 18th-century doors. Two greens decorate the large living room on the first floor, while the main entrance door, dating from the 18th century, bears the bronze initials of the owners on its impost. A small door in the middle of the hanger gives access to a crossing porch leading to the lower courtyard. Originally, the ground floor housed a common room and a kitchen, each with a large stone fireplace. The house, which could be built in part in the 15th century, has traces of murderers on its north, west and south walls, vestige of its medieval origins.

Since February 24, 2003, Malaval House has been listed as a historical monument, illustrating the architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and the modern era. Its history is linked to the social rise of a family of local magistrates, reflecting the role of the provincial elites under the Old Regime. The square tower, probably the oldest part, and the still visible fortifications bear witness to its defensive past, while the 17th and 18th century developments reveal its adaptation to the comfort standards of the era.

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