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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Allenet Hotel is an emblematic building of the old Cognac, located at the corner of the rue de l'Isle-d'Or and rue des Cordeliers, near the quays of the Charente. Built in the 16th century, it illustrates the reborn civil architecture of the region, with stone elements and typical openings such as arches in basket handle. His name comes from André Allenet, mayor of Cognac from 1550 to 1582, whose family owned a nearby house. The Renaissance niche carved at the corner of the facades, commissioned by Allenet, was classified as a historical monument since 1925, while all the facades and roofs were inscribed in 1973.

The hotel has notable architectural features, such as a wide bay on the ground floor, vestige of an old shop, and a stone fireplace on the façade of the rue de l'Isle-d'Or. A turret in low protrude and an inscription bearing the name of André Allenet on the niche of the angle attest to its history. In the 18th century, some openings were redesigned, and in 1853, the triangular pediment of the gate was dismantled to be re-used at the entrance of the convent of the Recollets. Despite exterior restorations in 1977, the interior, empty, remains abandoned.

The history of Hotel Allenet is linked to the local political life: Cognac, endowed with a communal charter from Jean sans Terre and renewed by Louise de Savoie, elected its mayors from the 16th century. André Allenet, a major figure of this time, marked the building by his patronage. Today, a private property, the hotel bears witness to the Renaissance civil heritage in Charente, in a region that was then dynamic thanks to the trade of salt, wine and brandy, flourishing activities along the quays of the Charente.

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