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Origin and history

The Hotel du Molant, also known as Hotel Hévin, is a private hotel built between 1666 and 1670 in Rennes, at the corner of Place des Lices and Rue de Juillet. Ordered by the lawyer Pierre Hévin (1623–92), it was originally designed as a report building, intended to be rented by apartments. Its architecture combines two square buildings around an inner courtyard, with stone facades and a Mansart roof. The hotel still houses a monumental stairwell and period woodwork, although some was exported to the United States in 1924.

The hotel owes its present name to René du Boberil, lord of the Molant, who acquired it by marriage in 1687 with Julienne Hévin, daughter of Pierre. He was occupied by the intendant of Brittany from 1689 to 1692, before he moved to the Brie hotel. Despite successive divisions, the hotel remained mostly in the Boberil family until the 19th century. His remarkable elements — facades, roofs, stairs, and a painted ceiling depicting Uranie and the Comets — earned him an inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1963.

Inside, the hotel retains decorations attributed to the workshops at the Palais de Versailles, including a medallion by Louis XIV and carved woodwork. The courtyard once housed stables, while the front door, decorated with a wooden trommel (1689), celebrates the Sun King. Today, the hotel borders the Lice market, one of the largest markets in France, which runs every Saturday.

Historical sources mention in-depth studies, such as those by Georges Martin (1991), which analyse his role in the 17th century Rennes. Although some assertions lack precise references (such as the sustainability of the Boberil family), its status as a rental building from the beginning makes it a rare testimony of urban planning and Breton society under Louis XIV.

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