Half-timbered houses de Touraine

Wander through the picturesque streets and be enchanted by the charm of the half-timbered houses. Look up and admire these facades from another time, witnesses to a rich medieval past. From Tours to Chinon, via Amboise, these timber-framed and corbelled buildings give these towns a unique cachet.

An authentic site

In the heart of old Tours, discover the Place Plumereau and its many bars and restaurants, where you can enjoy the charm of several timber-framed houses on the terrace. We owe the preservation of this ensemble to a conservation plan initiated in 1973, based on the Malraux law of 1962, which aimed to protect and enhance France’s historic heritage. A visionary initiative! Below, take a look at some of the half-timbered houses you may come across while strolling through the towns of Touraine. Take a look at this rareslate-clad house, a material used for bourgeois houses.

Place Plumereau

Guided tour

Don’t hesitate to book the “Vieux Tours” guided tour, offered by the Tours Val de Loire Tourist and Convention Bureau.

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©Place Plumereau, Tours|ADT Touraine - JC COUTAND-MEHEUT

©Place Plumereau Tours Credit Adt Touraine Jc Coutand 2029 3|Jean-Christophe COUTAND

Savour its history and gastronomy on the Place Plumereau

In the heart of Old Tours, Place Plumereau invites you to take a gourmet break in an enchanting medieval setting. Take a seat on the terrace, let yourself be charmed by the half-timbered houses and enjoy the unique atmosphere of this emblematic place. An experience where heritage and culinary delights meet!

Half-timbering history and technology

A building technique that first appeared in Roman times, half-timbering was to develop in France from the Middle Ages onwards, before giving way to stone architecture, which took hold in all towns from the early 18th century. The term colombage refers to the assembly of wooden beams, horizontally and vertically (grid pattern), but also in the form of a Saint Andrew’s Cross or, more rarely, a diamond shape. To fill the spaces inside this framework, cob, a mixture of clay soil mixed with straw or hay, is used, but also filling with bricks or other materials. The long wooden beams gradually gave way to shorter timbers, which were easier to find and transport to the heart of the towns. Above all, in the event of fire, the shorter timbers were less likely to spread flames to neighbouring houses. To prevent the wooden beams from being affected by dampness in the ground, the structure of half-timbered houses is supported by a basement wall or masonry elements.

Towns and villages of Touraine

©Rue Colbert maison à colombages à Tours|ADT Touraine - JC COUTAND

Corbelled houses underground

Many have been corbelled, like this medieval house in Chinon. The surface area of the upper storey extends beyond the lower level, protecting the walls below from the rain, while providing more living space for the dwelling. However, to prevent the spread of fires and for public health reasons (to facilitate the penetration of wind and sun into the streets to limit bad smells and disease), the corbelled roof was finally abandoned during the Renaissance.