Maison Henri II

an exceptional and unique work in the history of the French Renaissance, designed by an anonymous master in the years 1555. Please note that it cannot be visited. Only the courtyard is accessible. "It was built for Hugues Pontard, whose son François was Mayor of La Rochelle in 1567, in a clever "antique" style that combines columns, pediments and coffered ceilings. However, this achievement is not an ordinary one in the 16th century, since the "Maison Henri II"... is not a house! Its superimposed galleries are only narrow corridors, extending the stair turret of the right-hand house and serving the study on the first floor of the left-hand pavilion. This facade without depth is therefore a monumental décor, a dream architecture whose roofs and dormer windows simulate, for Hugues Pontard's guests, an extraordinary dwelling overlooking the garden: an exceptional and unique work in the history of the French Renaissance, imagined by an anonymous master in the year 1555. Source: Richard Lêvesque. Attention, the House, Henri II is not visited, only the court is accessible


Facilities & services

Exhibition space

Environment

Town location In centre of town

Opening time

From 01/01 to 31/12, daily.

Prices & payment methods

GRATUIT