Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The log houses of Place au Blé in La Canourgue are a remarkable example of medieval civil architecture built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries. These two adjoining houses, classified as Historic Monument since 1993, are distinguished by their corbelled structure on a stone stone ground floor. The wood panel, composed of sturdled poles of local tuff, forms a characteristic facade, while elements such as a trilobed bay and a quadrilobed oculus, dating from the same period, remain at the east corner. The ground floor, probably dedicated to shops, contrasts with the upper floors reserved for living rooms and bedrooms, where period fireplaces are still visible.

The town of La Canourgue, raised to royal status in the second half of the 13th century, was a strategic crossroads for trade and trade in the Middle Ages. La Place au Blé, the economic heart of the town, housed these houses whose layout and construction reflect this prosperity. Their location near an old beal (irrigation or mill canal) highlights their integration into an active urban network. The mix of local materials – pink sandstone for frames, tuf for the sturdis – and the technique of wooden panels with floor panels illustrate regional know-how, while suggesting possible re-uses for certain architectural elements such as the broken arch bay.

The interior of the houses preserves a typical organisation of medieval habitat: a large room on the first floor and rooms on the upper floor. Their protection as a historical monument highlights their heritage value, both for their structure and for their role in the urban history of La Canourgue. Although the accuracy of their location is considered poor (level 5/10), their registration in the general inventory and their communal property make them accessible witnesses of the past, despite the lack of details on their current vocation (visit, rental, etc.).

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