Hidden treasures of the Bastide

For every example of decrepitude in the Bastide one can find another of lost beauty restored. I love to look out for the hidden gems of the Bastide, and invariably find them in the most unexpected places.

The photo above is from the landing our apartment is on, looking towards the buildings that front Rue de Verdun. Across what must have been a courtyard you can see a tower that once was part of the medieval merchant’s house that was in this location. It has stood there, in the courtyard of the original town home known as the Hotel Saint Martin, since the late 1400s, while the buildings around have changed and become restaurants, apartments and shops.

Going a little further up Rue de Verdun is another treasure that remains hidden from view, but has been well documented. Imagine uncovering the work of an interior designer from 600 years ago while renovating your shop! That’s exactly what happened when the Librairie-Papeterie Breithaupt was refurbishing its premises. Hidden behind the ceilings of the lowest two levels were original painted wooden panels, dating back to 1451, but still vibrantly colourful thanks to having been covered for so many years.

Although these mediaeval paintings showing scenes from daily life in the 15th century are no longer on view, the Librairie-Papeterie Breithaupt is one of my favourite places to visit. It has everything from guide books to Mont Blanc pens, and from novels to fine art supplies. It is spacious, too, filling a large part of the îlot, the rectangular block of buildings and courtyards formed by the intersection at right angles of the Rue de Verdun and the Rue Courtejaire. If you look around you in one of the rooms you might find the architecture a little odd. I doubt very much you’d ever figure out that that part of the bookstore used to be the old town baths.