Hôtel des Trois-Marchands

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

Chief town of a vicarie in the 10th century and then of a castellany under the count of Poitou falling within the jurisdiction of the senechal and the election of Poitiers, Gençay was a very active place of commerce from the Middle Ages. This dwelling of the 15th century was modified over the centuries and notably in the 19th. The rectangular plan is enlarged by an elongated appendage set back at right angles. The house consists of two adjoining buildings with a gable façade on the street, composed of one storey and roof space. The street façade opens with a door with a crown-moulding resting on corbels with incised crosses while the courtyard façade is pierced with mullioned windows, framed by prismatic mouldings. The ground floor and first floor are divided into four rooms, two of which overlook the courtyard containing two painted monumental chimneys. The rooms on the street retained at the upper storey their windows with cushion seats and a kitchen garden. A spiral staircase connecting the two storeys opens on the ground floor by a door framed with prismatic mouldings and an ogee on the lintel. Transformed by various occupations, the building has nonetheless preserved interesting elements of Gothic architecture.