The Adam and Eve House in Nice, France

The last remaining example of a painted house from the medieval period in Nice. Sgraffito at rue Poissonneire katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User Sgraffito at rue Poissonneire katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User Sgraffito at rue Poissonneire katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User Sgraffito at rue Poissonneire katielou106 / Atlas Obscura User Located at 8 rue Poissonnerie, this ancient house is famous for its impressive façade dating back to 1584. This makes it one of the last remaining examples of such a painted house from that period left in the city.

The facade was decorated using "sgraffito" a technique popular in Italy during the 15th and 16th centuries. Sgraffito is done by applying different layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colours to a moistened surface. It is said by some that the scene depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in a bas-relief form.Though local suggestions are that it actually shows the fiery couple who lived there at the time the house was decorated.

Whichever is true, it is still one of the best remaining examples of this type of architecture in Nice. Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter. Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

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