Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house located at 8 rue Saint-Julien in Albi is a representative example of the Albige civil architecture of the late 16th century. These buildings, characteristic of the region, are distinguished by their two floors in corbellation, the first very prominent and the second surmounted by a galetas called souleilhé. Their facades, in wooden strips, are decorated with crumbs lined with bricks arranged horizontally or obliquely, reflecting the local techniques of the era. A stair ramp dated 1601, preserved on one of these houses, attests to their period of construction.

These houses embody the average type of Albigeian houses of the Renaissance, combining functionality and decoration. Their corbelling structure, typical of medieval and reborn urban centres, allowed to gain space in height while limiting the grip on the ground. Some have preserved sculpted elements in their wooden panels, highlighting the care taken in their ornamentation. Their protection under the Historic Monuments since 1924 (inscription of facades) bears witness to their heritage value.

Saint-Julien Street, where this type of housing is concentrated, offers an overview of the Albanian urban planning of the time. These houses, though modest, illustrate the adaptation of traditional constructive techniques (such as torchi and wood) to the architectural influences of the Renaissance. Their preservation allows us to study the evolution of lifestyles and craftsmanship in the South-West of France at the crossroads between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

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