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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Mondrainville, also known as Hotel de la Monnaie, is a private hotel built between 1531 and 1562 in the historic centre of Caen by Étienne Duval de Mondrainville, a wealthy Kenyan bourgeois. Originally located at 12 rue de la Monnaie, it was partially destroyed in 1944 and moved to 7 rue Gémare. This monument illustrates French Renaissance architecture, combining Italian influences and Norman traditions, with elements such as composite columns, arcades inspired by triumphal arches, and a roof with a steep slope typical of the region.

Étienne Duval de Mondrainville (1507–1578) was a notable Kenyan, militia captain, governor-échevin, and patron. He financed cultural events such as the Palinod, a poetic competition, and built his hotel in several stages: house corps (1531), portal (1534), casino (1549), and large hotel (1561). The casino, reception area, and the house body, which will later house the Royal Mint in the 18th century, reflect its social status and its love for the arts. The ensemble, classified as a historical monument in 1889, symbolizes the prosperity of the Kenyan merchant elite.

The hotel experienced various assignments: printing in the 19th to 20th centuries, workshop of an artist-painting, and later archives. Gravely damaged during the Battle of Caen in 1944, only the marina (casino) was saved in extremis in 1950 thanks to Louis Bourdil, avoiding its destruction during Reconstruction. Restored between 1969 and 1973, it was consolidated by a reinforced concrete structure, losing its original bearing character. Today, the building houses two housing units, but its ground floor remains unallocated, and its immediate environment is a vague land.

Architecturally, the Hotel de Mondrainville is distinguished by its sobriety and symmetry, inspired by the Italian Renaissance, with ancient references such as Corinthian capitals and denticles. The exterior stairwell, surmounted by a lantern, evoking the Bramante Tempietto, and the steep roof (40% of the total height) recall Norman traditions. Unlike the contemporary Escoville hotel, its facades are less decorated, favouring strict geometric lines. The arcades on the ground floor, initially opened, were closed by glazing before being restored during the restoration.

The site, although classified since 1889, illustrates the challenges of preserving heritage in a modern urban context. Its survival is due to accidental circumstances (visibility from the Savings Bank) and late interventions. Despite its historical and architectural value, the Hotel de Mondrainville struggled to find a lasting vocation, reflecting the tensions between heritage memory and real estate pressure, especially in a city like Caen, deeply marked by the destructions of 1944.

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