Construction of the oratory XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Construction period attested by sources.
1948
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1948 (≈ 1948)
Order of 1 June 1948.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Oratory of the Brisonnets: registration by order of 1 June 1948
Key figures
Jean Briçonnet - Nearby owner
House attracted to the oratory, possible link.
Famille Briçonnet - Local noble line
Weapons on the key.
Famille Berthelot - Associated line
Joint weapons on the vault.
Origin and history
The Briçonnets Oratory is a monument located in Tours, in the Old Towers district, at 15 rue du Change. This 16th century building is remarkable for its small vaulted room, called an oratory, which has preserved architectural elements typical of the Renaissance. The ribbed vault rests on cloves carved of foliage, and a key to the vault bears the arms of the Briçonnet and Berthelot families, suggesting a close link with these influential lines of the time.
The building is close to Jean Briçonnet's house, suggesting that it was part of a larger housing complex. Despite its subsequent use as a kitchen, the oratory preserved its original characteristics, including its armored decorations. It has been a historical monument since 1948 and illustrates the civil and religious architectural heritage of Tours, marked by the influence of local elites during the Renaissance.
The precise location of the oratory at 15 rue du Change is attested by the Merimée and Monumentum bases. The Insee code of the commune (37261) confirms its anchoring in the department of Indre-et-Loire, in the region Centre-Val de Loire. Although its current accessibility is not detailed in the sources, its heritage inscription makes it an important testimony to the urban tourangelle history.
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