PETITS TRESORS DES RUES FONTENAISIENNES

There are several streets and buildings in Fontenay-le-Comte that deserve attention, so leave the car and stroll down rue du Pont-aux-Chèvres. While walking, you will notice several interesting houses. At number 3, a 15th century dwelling, a former Benedictine priory with beautiful mullioned windows. At number 6, the Château-Gaillard hotel, its classical style entrance portal is decorated with a group of sculptures inspired by Antiquity. At number 14, a beautiful Renaissance residence has a Doric portal and a window decorated with embraced figures. At number 9, an austere residence known as the "bishops' palace" has a superb staircase with stone balusters. the streets Gaston-Guillemet, Pierre-Brissot, des Orfèvres, de la Grue, de la Harpe, among others, are also worth a visit. The 18th century Lépinay de Beaumont hotel, the 16th century Hôtel de la Pérate, the Logis de la Courpe (Maison Billaud) and the 17th century Palais Royal , now converted into housing, adorn the historic center with their noble stone facades. And don't miss the elegant bandstand on the Place Viète, located at the top of the city. rue des Loges is home to the Maison Millepertuis, a Renaissance house located at 85 rue des Loges, which takes its name from "millepertuis", meaning a thousand holes, from the vermiculated bosses that decorate the lower part of its façade. Rue des Loges (pedestrian zone) is the old main street of the city. Admire the old facades of the Millepertuis and Louis XV houses, half-timbered houses, as well as the picturesque lanes that intersect it. A must-see in the city isthe Belliard square. Known as the Place aux Porches, the Place Belliard is the main square of the city under the Ancien Régime. Five houses with arcades are visible there. The n° 16, dated 1605, presents a remarkable sculpted facade. At n° 11, you can see the house where General Belliard, contemporary of Napoleon I, was born. Do not missthe fountain of the Quatre-Tias. It is located on the outskirts of the Baron park, near the Sardines bridge. Decorated with the Royal Salamander, this fountain reminds us of the city's humanist past. Built in 1542, it echoes the phrase of François I: " Fontanacum felicium ingeniorum fons et scaturigo ", which means "fountain and gushing source of the Beautiful Spirits".