Rothe House
| Rothe House | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of the Rothe House area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Merchant townhouse |
| Architectural style | English Renaissance style |
| Location | Parliament Street, Kilkenny, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 52°39′15″N 7°15′17″W / 52.654295°N 07.2546323°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, Ireland. The complex was built by John Rothe Fitz-Piers between 1594 and 1610 and is made up of three houses, three enclosed courtyards, and a large reconstructed garden with orchard. As a museum, it is accessible to the public.
Rothe House is the only remaining example of a complete burgage plot 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. It features a well dug by Cistercian monks (based in Duiske Abbey in Graiguenamagh) who owned the property before the dissolution of monasteries. 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.