The Medieval City

SOMMAIRE de la page

One of the most beautiful and best preserved medieval districts in France can be found at the foot of the Cathedral of Bourges.

Almost all of the city's timber-framed houses date back to the 15^th Century, rebuilt after the Great Fire of the Madeleine in 1487.

 

More than 450 line the streets winding down from the cathedral to the market square, making this area of Bourges a photographer's delight.

In an effort to prevent future catastrophic fires, they were elevated using the method of corbelled out enlarged posts, thus limiting the protrusion of the upper floor onto the street. 

On the ground floor one usually finds the shop with the workshop at the back. Living quarters above are reached by a spiral staircase in the lateral hallway which also serves the courtyard and kitchens at the back to the house.

 

The Gothic décor is usually concentrated on the corner post (the house of the Three Flutes, and house on the corner of the Rue des Juifs), or on the large horizontal beams (see N° 37).