Friday 13 January 2017

Architectural Details of Preuilly VIII


This house, on the street that goes down to the bridge across the river, is often referred to as the 'Monkey House'. Can you see why? Here is a link to a post I did on it, which will make it clear. Its proper name is la Maison des marches.

This house on the main street was until a couple of years ago a pharmacy, hence the ghost of a Bowl of Hygieia symbol. When the pharmacist moved it remained empty for about 18 months, but it appears to have been sold now. Certainly smart new doors and windows have been fitted where once there was plate glass.

This house is directly across from the Abbey, and is rather handsome and solid looking, as befits its (once) prime location.

4 comments:

Le Pré de la Forge said...

I like these posts... makes me look!! And I have been noticing more in GP, too.
The roof of the "Monkey House" is interesting... it is a Dutch style... the same one that gave the name Dutch Barn to UK open barns.
I have seen the same dotted all over France as we've driven around... sometimes in town... sometimes in open country... and more frequently up North on our routes up and down. There is a beauty up near Hazebrouck... the sides slightly closer to the vertical than this one and covered with shiny black and red tiles... the really thick ones.
I presume that a roof constructed this way gives more space on that floor... as you lose less of the non-head height space.
Something that interests me about this is... as the "Maison des marches" on what would have been the market place... and so close to the river... was that floor a merchants' display space?
Rather like the famous Dragon Hall in Norwich....

Susan said...

I don't know that the area in front of the Abbey was ever a market place, or at least, not for regular markets. Sometimes for fairs, as it still is today. The house was once a shop (newsagent?) and the marches are 'steps' I assume.

Le Pré de la Forge said...

Probably.... I was actually thinking way back.... I would hazard that Proolie had two market places.... the cachement area is as large as Descartes... and you would never fit all those stalls in and around your current market place.... and 1800 or so, almost all would have been bought at market.... fresh!

Susan said...

Even so, I don't recall hearing that the place in front of the Abbey was a market on a regular basis. There was presumably a meat market near the current salle des fetes, since the old name for the street is rue du marché des porcs, and lots of poultry bones were found on the archaeological dig there when the salle des fetes was built. In the next street you've got the champs de foire also (opposite the primary school). And anyway, Preuilly was always getting into trouble from the authorities for not holding enough markets and fairs. In 1800 Preuilly had lots of shops don't forget too. Shoppers were not struggling to spend their sous in Preuilly I don't think.

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