A little history of Créneaux townhouse

Orléans deputy mayors, who used to meet in a room in the Chatelet ("small castle"), were forced to let the place to the duke of Orléans: he had just came back from England, were he was captive since Azincourt battle!

Where would they go? Mayors bought the Carnaux or Créneaux house in May 1443 to a man called Jehan Renart. How much it cost? 400 golden crowns.

The building was raised by architect Viard: it's a masterpiece from French Renaissance!

For the record, Charles Viard (who also raised Beaugency city hall)... didn't exist! His name was nowhere to be found.

But in Beaugency, we have a family of builders whose name is Biard... surprise! Do we find our architect? Maybe it's because of Gothic handwriting, V and B often mixed up...