Built between 1540 and 1550, this house is the finest example of Langroise Renaissance civil architecture. It comprises two buildings, one facing the street and the other the garden, linked by a lateral corridor. Stacked vertically according to the functions of the different levels, the building comprises a cellar, a basement and two levels of living space.
On the garden side, the façade has a simple geometric composition: two levels of Ionic and Corinthian columns are superimposed. Strongly marked by cornices, the horizontal lines break the verticality of the columns and mullioned windows. Belonging to the classical Renaissance, the decoration of this bourgeois house is a direct descendant of Antiquity: friezes with drapery motifs linked by rings and bucrania, an attempt at naturalism with bunches of fruit, palmettes and "choux bourguignons", etc.
From the courtyard, enclosed by a stone balustrade, a door led directly to the semi-buried service room. Vaulted with low arches, the kitchens still feature a large fireplace and food storage areas. In the courtyard, the servants drew rainwater from the elegant cistern covered by a small dome.
On the side of the façade, a semi-circular door opens onto a corridor that crosses the house to link up with rue Cardinal Morlot, the town's main shopping street in the 16th century. This long corridor leads to the ground floor rooms, including the former reception room, a small courtyard and the spiral staircase leading to the upper floors and basements. From the kitchens, access is gained to the older cellar levels. Dating from the 14th or 15th century and covered by cross vaults, they feature capitals sculpted with plant, animal or human motifs, a well...
The Maison Renaissance will be holding an exhibition on Renaissance architecture in the Langres region.
Free access to the courtyard to view the façade.
Maison Renaissance
