Maison du IV de Chiffre, Medieval Gothic house on rue des Teinturiers, Avignon, France.
The Maison du IV de Chiffre is a three-story stone residence on rue des Teinturiers featuring a notable medieval facade. The building displays characteristic Gothic details including crenelated gables and corner turrets that define its structure.
The house was built at the end of the 15th century and took its name from a monogram carved between the first-floor windows. It was designated a historical monument in the early 20th century to protect its medieval character.
The house is named after the IV de Chiffre, a monogram once carved between the three first-floor windows; it was recorded in La Farandole no. 53 (21 October 1913) before disappearing during a restoration. The symbol, a stylised heart pierced by a dart, was used as a plague talisman in the Middle Ages and appears on seals, playing cards and craftsmen's marks.
The house stands at the corner of rue des Teinturiers and rue Guillaume Puy, with the ground floor reached by a platform over the Sorgue. A blue plaque reading "Maison du IV de Chiffre" marks the facade, and a nearby sign points toward Les Halles and Place Pie. The crenellated top and corner turret make it easy to recognise from the street.
The grand salon occupies almost the entire first floor, where the monumental Gothic fireplace stands beneath a wooden ceiling whose beams are 90 cm high. The monogram that gave the house its name, carved between the three first-floor windows, is now almost illegible; it was recorded in La Farandole, an Avignon magazine, on 21 October 1913.
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