Known as Maison d'Adam, this timber-framed house stands at the heart of Angers at the crossroads of Rue Montault and Place Sainte-Croix, just behind the cathedral. Constructed around 1491, it is one of the surviving architectural testimonies of medieval heritage, housing the Maison des artisans d'Angers on the ground floor and apartments above. For centuries, this land was the property of the Lefèvre family. It is believed that an apothecary, Jean Lefèvre or Jean Lebreton, commissioned the construction of the house.
The house was owned by several individuals, including Renée Lefèvre, Jean Jolivet, a merchant of woolen cloth, and Michel Adam, the son-in-law of Jean Jolivet, a merchant of silk. During the Revolution, the revolutionaries destroyed the figures of Adam and Eve with the serpent, leaving only the apple tree in place. The construction date of the current house was determined by dendrochronology. The façades and the building were classified as historical monuments by decree of September 28, 1922.
Restoration works on the building began in 1951. Today, the building houses the Maison des artisans d'Angers. The Maison d'Adam was restored in 1994, and again between 2022 and 2025. This latest renovation, led by Soclova, cost 3 million euros. The Maison d'Adam has six levels: a ground floor, three floors, two levels of attic, and a vaulted basement. On the main façade, Place Sainte-Croix, it features a large gable. The timber-framed façade is decorated with numerous sculptures, including a sculpture supporting its corner turret which represents a tree.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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