Maison du Croissant (House of the Crescent), Tours
The House of the Crescent (Maison du Croissant), also known as the Maison de la Belle Teinturi猫re, is a fine example of a Medieval French mansion. Built sometime between the second half of the 15th century and the first quarter of the 16th century, this palatial bourgeois house stands in the area that was once inhabited by silk workers, who settled in Tours around 1470 at the behest of King Louis XI.
The building owes its name to the Tufa staircase tower, standing on one of its corners. The coat of arms of Saint Maurice, which crowns the front door of the tower, with a motto in the form of a crescent, refers to the Order of the Crescent established in 1448 by Ren茅 d'Anjou. However, no archival documents make it possible to establish precisely the relationship between this house and the knightly order.
The Gothic-style front door seems to have been installed during restoration in 1962, led by the architect Henri Enguehard. That restoration notably replaced the initial cob slabs on the fa莽ade with the decorative brick slabs. Several windows also have been restored to their original location and size, including those on the ground floor of the tower and the two square floors of the timber-framed upper part of the main building.
The ground floor of the house is corbelled. The north fa莽ade, damaged during WWII, has been restored and is partly modern. The building has been registered as a historical monument since 1946.
The building owes its name to the Tufa staircase tower, standing on one of its corners. The coat of arms of Saint Maurice, which crowns the front door of the tower, with a motto in the form of a crescent, refers to the Order of the Crescent established in 1448 by Ren茅 d'Anjou. However, no archival documents make it possible to establish precisely the relationship between this house and the knightly order.
The Gothic-style front door seems to have been installed during restoration in 1962, led by the architect Henri Enguehard. That restoration notably replaced the initial cob slabs on the fa莽ade with the decorative brick slabs. Several windows also have been restored to their original location and size, including those on the ground floor of the tower and the two square floors of the timber-framed upper part of the main building.
The ground floor of the house is corbelled. The north fa莽ade, damaged during WWII, has been restored and is partly modern. The building has been registered as a historical monument since 1946.
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Maison du Croissant (House of the Crescent) on Map
Sight Name: Maison du Croissant (House of the Crescent)
Sight Location: Tours, France (See walking tours in Tours)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Tours, France (See walking tours in Tours)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Tours, France
Create Your Own Walk in Tours
Creating your own self-guided walk in Tours is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Historical Churches
The French city of Tours is forever linked to the Battle of Tours, a pivotal event in European history. Taking place in 732 AD, this momentous encounter saw the Frankish leader Charles Martel, a devout Christian, successfully repel a substantial army of Spanish Moors, thus effectively halting the Muslim advance and ensuring the preservation of Christianity throughout Western Europe.
Had it... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Had it... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tours Introduction Walking Tour
The Roman Emperor Augustus named the city Caesarodunum (Hill of Caesar). But it was always Tours. Caesar left the Tours Ampitheatre, the largest amphitheater of the Empire. It's good to be Caesar.
Tours is located on the River Loire. It stands between Orleans and the Atlantic shore. It is famous for the Battle of Tours in 732 CE when Spanish Moors led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi was... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Tours is located on the River Loire. It stands between Orleans and the Atlantic shore. It is famous for the Battle of Tours in 732 CE when Spanish Moors led by Abdul Rahman Al Ghafiqi was... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.7 Km or 2.3 Miles
Tours Old Town Walk
Having successfully preserved much of its historic heritage, Tours is particularly famous for its original medieval district 鈥� Vieux Tours. The bulk of it is concentrated around three squares: Place du Grand March茅, Place Plumereau and Place de Chateauneuf.
A stroll through the Old Town, day or night, offers many delights, and is best started at Place Plumereau. Lined with wood-framed,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
A stroll through the Old Town, day or night, offers many delights, and is best started at Place Plumereau. Lined with wood-framed,... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles