Maison située 2 place de la Fontaine et 2 rue de la Monnaie

English translation

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History

Located in the gâche of the Fon, the house AT 10 occupies a through-plot opening to the south onto an alley and to the north onto the place de la Fontaine (fountain and square classified 1920/10/05). The block, which according to periods was divided into five to eight plots, is found on the southern boundary of the first layout of the bastide which was enlarged towards the south along the rue Droite (rue de la République) following the construction of the pont des Consuls over the Aveyron (1298 to 1321). This square, with that of Notre-Dame, constitutes a remarkable urban arrangement, one of the rare open spaces within the bastide. The house enjoys a double orientation, benefiting from much more light and air than most of the constructions of the town. On the rue de la Monnaie, the ground floor of house AT 10 retains two doors in pointed arches with chamfer, datable to the 13th or 14th century, witnesses to an initial phase of construction of the house. In the 1518 cadastre, two owners for this plot AT 10 appear: noble Bertran de Marcilhac senhor de la Bastida and Masieiras Peire [Mazieres, Pierre], "paraire" (cloth finisher, presumably of cloth). Savinhac Bernat, licentiate, appears next as owner of the two plots which then pass to Guillaume de Savinhac [Savignac], "particular lieutenant of the court of the seneschal of Rouergue". We do not have information on these two persons who presumably belong to the noble family of Savignac. The house with its stair tower and its gallery pierced with elegant openings presumably underwent a significant campaign of works during the 16th century. The recent renders making it impossible to see the masonry and repairs. They seem homogeneous in the photographs taken in 2004 which are however not very legible. Master Jean Jacques Deygua is next noted as owner. J J Deygua (1601-1652), lord of Salesse, inherits from his father the office of counsellor of the King; he sits in the présidial of Rouergue. He is said to have bought the house in 1631. "One could see in 1708 his arms supported by two dolphins above the door". The house of J. J. Deygua is adjacent (western side) to a house, belonging to Marie d'Azémar, his wife (before 1611- after 1658). It is possible that it was the Deygua who united the buildings. On the 2nd floor, the western party wall is pierced with two straight lintel doors which opened onto plot AT 9. The Deygua houses are bought in March 1658 by the Visitandines who exchange them in May 1658 with the Treasury building. After this exchange, it was not possible to identify the owners until the early 19th century. The façade on the place de la Fontaine common to the buildings of plots AT 9 and 10 was rebuilt in timber framing with raw earth mortar, presumably during the 18th century, perhaps on the occasion of a reorganisation of the square. On the 1826 cadastre, the house corresponds to plot 879 which groups the current plots AT 9 and 10. On the western side, a passage separates the house from its neighbour; the gallery distributing a small wing in right-angled return is represented on the eastern side of the courtyard; only the eastern façade of this wing remains. It belongs to Nicolas, Augustin Claude (1771-1853) from the Vosges, tax collector. The Claude heirs sell the house on 4 June 1862; the deed specifies only that Claude Nicolas Augustin "had been enjoying it for more than 40 years", which does not allow pursuit of research on the owners in the 18th century. From this sale onwards, the house passes between the hands of several owners.

Description

Located in the heart of the bastide of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the Fontaine quarter, this house occupies a through-plot between the rue de la Monnaie and the place de la Fontaine. The south façade on the rue de la Monnaie is set back from the street, thus the house has a courtyard which is quite rare in the town. It comprises 4 storeys served by a stone spiral staircase within the thickness of the wall, generously lit by stone mullioned windows. This façade preserves all its openings datable to the 16th century. The leaf of the entrance door decorated with 3 pilasters and engraved motifs in round arch has been removed to protect it from the weather. A gallery connected the main dwelling with a small wing set at right angles which was destroyed presumably at the end of the 19th century. On the 1st floor, this gallery is lit by two mullioned windows; on the 2nd floor, it is an open gallery bordered by stone pilasters; the top storey, lower in height, evokes a soleilhou and houses latrines. The 1st and 2nd floors of the main dwelling consist of three rooms arranged en suite. The 2nd floor preserves a large stone fireplace, its old floorboards and timberwork, as well as a large rectangular stone sink. Constructed in timber framing infilled with rammed earth, the façade on the place de la Fontaine was presumably remade during the 18th century. It presents the same windows as house AT 9 as it then constituted a single property.