Maison dite de François Ier, Renaissance house in Aubigny-sur-Nère, France.

The Maison dite de François Ier is a timber-framed building at the centre of Aubigny-sur-Nère, near the church of Saint-Martin. Its facade is a grid of dark wooden posts and beams framing pale plaster panels, with carved pillars on the ground floor. The upper floor and attic overhang the street, and the roof is covered in slate.

The house carries the date 1519 and was built for Robert Stuart d'Aubigny (1470-1544), near the church of Saint-Martin. After a huge fire ruined Aubigny in 1512, Stuart, made Marshal of France in 1514, had the town rebuilt and let residents take framing timber from his forests, at the cost of three forests. The facades were listed as monuments historiques by decree of 31 March 1915.

The house carries the name of François Ier although it was built for Robert Stuart d'Aubigny, named maréchal de France in 1514. Its corner sign reads "CHATEAU D'EAU", a reminder that the building later served another purpose. The sculpted ground-floor pillars are the detail to look for.

You can view the exterior of this residence while walking through the historic center of Aubigny-sur-Nère at any time during the year. The facade faces the street and is easily visible from nearby public spaces.

The vertical sign on the corner post reads "CHATEAU D'EAU", a name that has nothing to do with a castle or a water tower. The house is named after François Ier although it was built for Robert Stuart d'Aubigny, and a small plaque between the upper windows marks it.