This beautifully preserved half-timbered house is known as the ‘Vieille Cassine”. In the local Picard dialect, “cassine” means a rustic little house, and that’s exactly what this is. It’s one of the oldest surviving homes in Compiègne, dating back to the late 14th or early 15th century. It once served as the residence of the maîtres du pont, or “bridge masters,” who belonged to a respected guild of pilots. Their job was to guide boats safely under the arches of Compiègne’s bridge, a tricky task, since the currents here were famously strong. Over time, that guild disappeared, especially after a dam was built in 1831 to calm the waters, making navigation much easier. The house’s final resident was a cabinetmaker who decided to restore and embellish it, turning it into the charming historic landmark you’re looking at today.