Casa Xanxo

When it comes to Perpignan’s rich heritage, you’ll often hear about its most famous monuments. But others — less well-known, yet just as rich in history — also deserve a moment of your time. One of those is this civil gem, just 20 meters up the street, on rue de la Main de Fer. Built in 1507 for a wealthy cloth merchant — which is where the house gets its name — the Casa Xanxo is one of the few remaining Gothic houses in Perpignan. From the outside, behind its still and silent walls, you can already sense the success of its founder — and the wealth of those who came after him. Back then, the main building included storage areas and a vaulted cellar to keep valuable goods. There was also a large reception hall on the first floor — the only part that still exists today. Between the 16th and 20th centuries, Casa Xanxo had several different owners. One of them even planned to tear it down in 1785 to build a private mansion. Luckily, that project never came to life. Among its many notable guests were Nicolas Perrenot de Granvelle, secretary to the powerful Emperor Charles V, and Dorothea of Austria, daughter of Emperor Rudolf II of the Habsburgs. Casa Xanxo isn’t just filled with history — it’s also a place of art, best known for the carved frieze that stretches across two-thirds of its long façade. It is said to depict the seven deadly sins and hell — a scene that people in the Middle Ages affectionately called the “Cavalcade of Vices.” On the left side, you can spot pride, laziness, greed, and the rest of their sinful companions. They’re all tied together by a rope leading straight to hell, depicted on the right. The little figures, caught up in the seven deadly sins, are pulled straight into the hands of the devils. After several years of closure and 18 months of renovation work, the Casa Xanxo has now reopened to the public. It houses Perpignan’s heritage and architecture interpretation center — a wonderful way to pass on the city’s history to future generations, and help them understand it better.