A Urban Wanderer

What they left behind

Architecture cantilever

This architecture shooting here present

A characteristic feature of medieval and early Renaissance urban planning often found in historic french city centers. This structure is a corbel (or sometimes a "corbelled latrine").

This is a explanation of these architectural choices:

1. Why this "suspended" building? (Corbelling)

This type of structure features a projection extending from the facade. Several reasons explain its presence.

In the medieval era, ground space was very limited and expensive inside fortified city walls. Building in a corbelled style allowed residents to expand upper floors without encroaching on public land at the ground level.

Often, these small stone structures located at height were used as latrines. By projecting them away from the wall, waste could fall directly into the alley (or into an open sewer or waterway) without dirtying the wall of the house.

In some city, taxes were based on the ground surface area occupied. Building in an overhang on the upper floors allowed for more living space while circumventing certain property taxes.

2. Why such narrow alleys?

The city were confined by defensive walls that expansive to build and maintain. Consequently, housing had to be as dense as possible within these boundaries. Streets were reduced to the bare minimum needed for pedestrians, carts or animals to pass.

Narrow streets provided better protection against harsh winds and made the city easier to defend in the event of an attack, as a narrow street could be blocked easily.

In the south of france, these narrow streets and tall buildings create a tunnel effect that helps keep the air cool and shields residents from direct sunlight during intense summer heat.