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Michel-Veyrenc House in Aubenas en Ardèche

Patrimoine classé
Maison classée MH

Michel-Veyrenc House in Aubenas

    8 Rue Jourdan
    07200 Aubenas
Private property
Crédit photo : Jmerlant - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1593
Execution of Jesuits
1670
Combating the revolt in Roure
1713
Construction of stairs
28 avril 1938
First entry MH
années 1980
Restoration of building
8 décembre 2021
Extension of the MH inscription
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Forged iron staircase ramp: inscription by decree of 28 April 1938; The staircase, suspended from the Michel Veyrenc house, made in the 18th century and all the masonry that relates to it, gallery on courtyard included, the facades on which the structural elements of these are anchored, the floor of the courtyard in whole since the entrance of 8 rue Jourdan, as well as the underlying cistern, the stone vault that covers the staircase; elements to which it appeared necessary to add the stone frame of the entrance door of the eighteenth century, from the ground to the cornice, from the door of access to the court by 8 rue Jourdan, the wooden parts of it as well as the elements of decoration and locksmithy, located 8 rue Jourdan, on the plot No. In addition, for structural reasons, the east wall of the courtyard, on plot No.190, in the cadastre section F, is inscribed as historical monuments: inscription by order of 8 December 2021

Key figures

Michel Veyrenc de Lavalette - Owner in the 16th century Hebergea the Jesuits executed in 1593.
Jacques Salès - Jesuit and martyr Executed in 1593 in the house.
Guillaume Saultemouche - Jesuit and martyr Companion of Jacques Salès, executed.
Marie-Anne Veyrenc de Lavalette - Heir in the 18th century Brought the house in dowry in 1713.
François-Louis de Barthélémy - Lawyer and owner Commanded the 18th century stairway.

Origin and history

The Michel-Veyrenc House is one of the oldest bourgeois houses of Aubenas, in Ardèche, built on the site of the old castle of the city. Today it is best known for its 18th century staircase, which has been included in the additional inventory of historic monuments since 1938. Until the 19th century, it included a set of buildings bordering the Barry Square, as evidenced by the plans of the Napoleonic cadastre. Architectural elements, such as condemned doors, niches and French ceilings, recall its complex history, mixing medieval heritage and transformations of the 16th and 17th centuries.

During the religious wars, the house, then owned by Michel Veyrenc de Lavalette, was the scene of a drama in 1593: two Jesuits, Father Jacques Salès and Brother Guillaume Saultemouche, were arrested and executed there for their faith. They were declared martyrs and blessed in 1926. In 1670, the building was the siege of violent fighting between the castle troops and the insurgents of Roure, causing the death of 40 people. In the 18th century, after his marriage to Marie-Anne Veyrenc de Lavalette, François-Louis de Barthélémy, a lawyer, built the emblematic staircase.

Falling in decrepitude in the 20th century, the house was restored in the 1980s. Its inscription as a historic monument was extended in 2021 to include, in addition to the staircase, structural elements such as facades, the courtyard, an underground tank and architectural details of the eighteenth century. These protections are intended to preserve a heritage bearing witness to both the religious, social and architectural history of Aubenas, a city marked by its bourgeois past and its historical conflicts.

The house is located at 8 rue Jourdan, in the heart of Aubenas. Its staircase, made of wrought iron and masonry, illustrates the artisanal know-how of the eighteenth century. The traces of the 16th and 17th centuries, such as stone vaults or old kitchens, recall the successive transformations of the building, reflecting the urban and social evolutions of the city. Its history, both local and national, makes it an emblematic place of ardèche heritage.

External links