Rothe House
| Rothe House | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Merchant townhouse |
| Architectural style | English Renaissance style |
| Address | Parliament Street |
| Town or city | Kilkenny |
| Country | Ireland |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 52°39′17″N 7°15′18″W / 52.654709°N 07.254954°W |
| Construction started | 1594 |
| Completed | 1610 |
| Owner | Kilkenny Archaeological Society |
| Website | |
| http://www.rothehouse.com/ | |
Rothe House /ˈroʊθ/ is a late 16th-century merchant's townhouse complex located in the city of Kilkenny. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594–1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstructed garden with orchard.
Rothe House is the only remaining example of its type in Ireland, and considered to be nationally significant because of the range of original post-medieval features that survive. The property, an important element of Kilkenny's heritage, is owned by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society and houses some of the society's collection of artefacts relating to Kilkenny City, County and Ireland.
The garden to the rear of the house has been reconstructed to reflect a typical 17th-century garden. The burgage plot on which Rothe House was built survives intact – one of a few in such an unaltered state. Kilkenny's medieval city wall forms part of the curtilage of the Rothe House complex.
The Rothe family were merchants foremost, but also involved in politics. They were part of an oligarchy of around ten families who controlled Kilkenny throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, and into 17th century. Rothe house was constructed on burgage plot John Rothe Fitz Piers acquired.
The house was confiscated after Charles I defeat in England, due to their involvement in the confederation of Kilkenny. Following the restoration of Charles II, the house was given back to the family.
Rothe House is an example of a house owned by Kilkenny's merchant class. It was built in the English Renaissance style which was introduced to the south-east of Ireland by the Thomas Butler the 10th Earl of Ormond in the 1560s.
The configuration of the original consecutive building sequence of John Rothe's three houses (dating respectively to 1594, 1604 and 1610) has survived intact. Rothe's sequential building programme is significant, as he deliberately built three independent houses rather than extending the first house to accommodate the needs of his growing family. In this, he followed the pattern of development chosen by his wife's family (the Archers) in their arrangement of the Archer house and the house built behind it, now known as 'The Hole in the Wall'.
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