The Maison des Têtes is the finest Renaissance building in Valence, dating from 1532. Its facade is covered in 71 carved heads representing the winds — an exuberant decorative programme that places it firmly in the tradition of French Renaissance display. The building stands on the Grande Rue in the old town and is visible enough that it is impossible to miss on any walk through the centre.
The ground floor is currently occupied by a restaurant that uses the building's remarkable setting to advantage. You can eat here surrounded by Renaissance stonework, which is either deeply atmospheric or slightly theme-park depending on your temperament. The building's exterior deserves careful attention regardless: the quality of the carving is exceptional, and the sheer quantity of decoration compressed into a town house facade tells you something about the ambitions of the prosperous 16th-century Valence merchant class.