Located on rue des Augustins, the Maison Henri II, also known as the Maison de Diane de Poitiers, is a luxurious residence built in 1555 for Hugues de Pontard, Seigneur de Champdeniers, King's Attorney in Saintonge.
This unique Renaissance-style building comprises two pavilions of different heights, joined by a two-storey gallery and a loggia.
A grooved frieze, medallions and bucrania are also noteworthy.
In fact, this is not a house as its name might suggest, but rather an extraordinary set of narrow corridors...
It is in fact a monumental décor, a simulation of a dwelling. We don't know who designed it, but it's brimming with sculptures, decorative elements and Renaissance ceilings.
Since 1975, this building has housed the collections of the Société d'archéologie et d'histoire de l'Aunis.
Since 2013, at the initiative of sociologist Jean Duvignaud, the Maison Henri II has been home to Le Centre Intermondes, an international artist residency program dedicated to contemporary creation in all its forms (visual arts, digital arts, music, literature, and more).
The building was designated a historic monument by decree on December 3, 1897.
The courtyard of the Maison Henri II is opened to the public, where you can stroll and admire the magnificent façade of the house in complete freedom.
Henri II House
11 bis rue des Augustins,
17000 La Rochelle
Tel.: 05 46 34 88 59
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