Jacques Coeur Palace
Born in Bourges some time around the year 1400, Jacques Coeur rapidly rose to the top of the social ladder. After his appointment as Finance Minister to the King and being made a nobleman, he began the construction of his Palace, which was finished around 1450.
This monument
was unique in France for its time but illustrates well the original personality of its builder.
It is a precursor of the mansions of the Renaissance period : the large main building is
constructed against the Gallo-Roman wall.
The galleries running around the courtyard link it to the chapel over the main doorway.
The façade on the street side and that of the main building are beautifully decorated with Jacques Coeur's royal emblem, together with a multitude of sculptures portraying religious themes, Jacques Coeur's travels or scenes of everyday life.
Great care was taken to make the Palace both comfortable and hygienic (washrooms, latrines).
The reception rooms and private apartments have richly decorated fireplaces.
The different parts of the building are linked by a particularly practical system of spiral
staircases, passages and galleries.