Jacques Coeur was a 15th-century merchant, banker, and royal treasurer who amassed one of the great fortunes of medieval France — and then lost it all when Charles VII turned on him. His palace in Bourges, built between 1443 and 1451, survived him and remains one of the finest examples of civil Gothic architecture in the country.
The facade on Rue Jacques Coeur is elaborately carved, with false windows featuring stone figures of a man and woman gazing down at the street. Inside, the grand hall and private apartments show the transition from medieval fortress to comfortable residence: large fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and decorative stonework throughout. Look for the recurring heart-and-shell motif — a visual pun on Coeur's name.
Visits are by guided tour only (French, with English information sheets available). The palace sits in the heart of the old town, a short walk from the cathedral.