Maison, 1 rue du Palais, Protected historical house in La Rochelle, France
The house at Rue du Palais is a stone building with prominent rustication on its ground floor that addresses two streets with unequal frontages. It presents two bays toward Grosse-Horloge Street and three toward Chef-de-Ville Street, reflecting the medieval layout of these lanes.
The building dates from the 15th and 16th centuries but underwent major reconstruction in 1824. Late in the 1800s, an additional floor was built above the second level, expanding the structure as documented at the time.
The house sits where two busy streets meet in the old town, making it a passage people cross daily when moving through the neighborhood. Its corner location has made it a natural landmark that locals and visitors use to navigate the area.
The building sits at a busy street corner and is easy to reach on foot. A cafe on the ground floor with a wooden spiral staircase provides a spot to pause and watch daily activity in the neighborhood.
The house has no interior courtyard, which is unusual for properties of this age in France. This reflects the tight corner location where land was precious and every bit of ground served the street-facing walls.
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