Discovering the old houses in Aubigny-sur-Nère
And also
The tops
The Stuarts
Scots in Berry, Central France! Welcome in Aubigny, the Stuarts’ city…
Those Scottish lords came to help king of France Charles VII during the Hundred Years War, to fight against the English.
And they settled here!
The story began in 1423, when the king gave the land of Aubigny to Jean Stuart.
Then Béraud Stuart turned up, then Robert, who transformed the small Aubigny into a lovely city.
Gorgeous Renaissance houses are still standing! Let’s go...
Well worth seeing houses
First, you have to know that in 1512, a terrible fire destroyed all the city.
Lord of Aubigny, Robert Stuart, allowed all the inhabitants to take wood from his forests, in order to re-raise their houses.
François I
Among the nicest houses here, we have François I’s house, next to the church.
We can see ″1519″ on it, probably the date of the reconstruction. It has a nice sculpted decoration.
The Bailiff
In rue du Bourg-Coutant, we can see the Bailiff’s house, raised by Robert Stuart.
Besides, do you see this medallion? We have his portrait on it, a tribute for that generous benefactor!
On a pole, there’s the R and the A, for ″Robert″ and ″Anne″ Stuart, but also R and J for ″Robert″ and ″Jacqueline″ de La Queille, his second wife!
The Saint-Jean
In front of us, this is Saint-Jean’s house, made of wood and cob.
It was re-raised after the fire. And it used to be an inn!
The Foulons
Finally, the last house (maison du Pont-aux-Foulons): probably Aubigny's oldest house, anterior to 1512 fire (for the stony part, not for the wooden one)!
Foulons echoes the drapers’ work, who worked here until the 19th century: indeed, drapers fulled (fouler in French) the fabric in the river...