Relais des Postes Royales, Royal postal relay station in La Pacaudière, France.
The Relais des Postes Royales is an early 16th-century postal relay station in La Pacaudiere with a three-bay structure across two levels. The steeply pitched roof features glazed tiles and large dormers with projecting timber frames characteristic of the period.
The building was constructed after 1511 and served as an important rest stop along the royal road connecting Lyon and Paris. It represents an early phase of organized postal service under French royal authority.
The entrance displays carved royal emblems, while interior walls bear graffiti left by travelers during the reign of Francis I. These marks reveal the daily presence of people passing through this important stop.
The monument is located at Place du Petit Louvre and is easily reached from the town center. Visitors will find informational displays about French postal history and can observe the historical building's architecture and details up close.
Dendrochronological analysis of the 13-meter-high wooden frame shows the timber was felled around 1511. This makes it one of the earliest documented structures built specifically for France's organized postal network.
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