Gateway to the treasurers' residence

The portal of the treasurers' mansion

This carved doorway in flamboyant Gothic style, a discreet stop on the Tours audio-guided tour, is another witness of the city's past. It is all that remains of a private mansion that belonged to the treasurer of the canons.

A powerful figure

The treasurer of the canons was a leading figure. To his duties was added the right of high justice. In the Middle Ages, high justice covered criminal matters and low justice civil ones; the holder could therefore pronounce death sentences.

What to see

The richly decorated portal symbolised the power of that authority. Built in the fifteenth century, it is the only remnant of this now vanished group of buildings. Look at the delicacy of the carving, which hints at the scale of the original residence.

Practical information

The portal is in old Tours and is freely viewed from the street. It is listed as a historic monument.

What is this portal a remnant of ?

It is the only remnant of the treasurers' mansion of Saint-Martin, a group of buildings now vanished.

When does the portal date from ?

It was built in the fifteenth century, in the flamboyant Gothic style.