Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former Laon Municipal Library is originally a private hotel built in the 4th quarter of the 16th century, as evidenced by the date of 1579 engraved on the wing in the back of the courtyard. The building combines a large limestone work (medium apparatus) and a brick staircase, typical of the buildings of the period. This building reflects the easy civil architecture of the Renaissance, with noble materials and a spatial organization characteristic of the urban dwellings of this period.

In 1855, the hotel was transferred to the city of Laon, which undertook a major transformation between 1860 and 1861 under the direction of architect Léon Gagnon. The façade on the street is rebuilt, the interior distribution is redesigned, and a 17th century staircase (from another place in Laon) is mounted in the courtyard. A well with its 17th century grid is also preserved. These changes are intended to adapt the building to its new functions: museum, library and savings bank, illustrating the evolution of heritage usage in the 19th century.

The building has been partially protected since 1927, with an inscription under the title of Historical Monuments for its 16th century facade on courtyard. The accuracy of its location is considered fair (note 5/10), and the site remains today the property of the municipality. Its history thus combines Renaissance heritage, Haussmannian adaptations and cultural vocation, typical of the Second Empire's heritage conversions.

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