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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The House of the Temple, located in Briançon in the Hautes-Alpes, is a Renaissance building built in the 16th century. This building is distinguished by its massed plan, double in depth and width, with a main facade organized in two spans on four levels. The ground floor is marked by five arches in a handle-of-panier, including a door in the middle surrounded by a Tuscan span with rustic bosses. Cranked pilasters, surmounted by volute consoles, rhythmize the openings, while the upper floors display windows framed with ground chambranles, alternating rectangular and curved frontons. A rigid volute highlights the last level bays.

The side façade, on the square side, has a similar composition with four spans on four levels. A hammered coat of arms, dated 1574, adorns the central pilastre of the first level, testifying to its history. Harp angle chains, irregular, reinforce the ends of the building. Inside, a rotating quarter staircase, vaulted in cradle and edges, serves the floors. A modest extension, adjacent to the east, is characterized by rectangular bays and a fourth-level skylight. Classified as a Historic Monument in 1982 for its facades and roofs, this house illustrates the refined civil architecture of the Alpine Renaissance.

The building, located in 4 Place du Temple and 2 rue Docteur-Vagnat, enjoys a central location in Briançon, fortified town of the Hautes-Alpes. Its conservation status and geographical accuracy are estimated to be fair (note 5/10), based on available data. The protected elements, listed in the inventory of Historic Monuments, specifically include facades and roofs, reflecting the heritage importance of this emblematic building of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

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