Acrobats’ House

The House of the Acrobats

The Blois audio-guided tour has you admire, on Place Saint-Louis, one of the finest residences of the city: the House of the Acrobats. Half-timbered, it immediately stands out from its neighbours by its richly sculpted façade.

A testimony of the fifteenth century

Built around 1470, under the reign of Louis XI, the House of the Acrobats is one of the oldest testimonies of the civil architecture of Blois. Built half-timbered, with its corbelled storeys and its timber interior staircase, it owes its name to the figures sculpted on its façade: acrobats and figures of medieval daily life, which animate the wooden beams.

What there is to see

Look up to observe the sculptures that adorn the façade: acrobats, jugglers and grotesque figures tell, with humour, the medieval imagination. The house, miraculously preserved through the centuries, is one of the jewels of the heritage of Blois and one of the most photographed of Place Saint-Louis, at the foot of the cathedral.

Practical information

The House of the Acrobats is on Place Saint-Louis, in the heart of the historic centre of Blois, at the foot of the cathedral. The façade can be contemplated freely from the square, at all hours and on the level. The building cannot be visited; it is a stop to admire from the outside.

Why is it called the House of the Acrobats?

Because of the acrobats and figures sculpted on its half-timbered façade, which illustrate the medieval imagination.

When does the House of the Acrobats date from?

Around 1470, under the reign of Louis XI; it is one of the oldest testimonies of the civil architecture of Blois.