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Origin and history

The Hotel des Griffons, located in Dijon in the Drapier district, is the oldest stone house still standing in the city. Built at the beginning of the 14th century for the Griffon family, of servile origin, it reflects their tremendous social ascent. The trilobed tympanos and the Virgin with the Child adorning the facade suggest an early construction in this century, although the exact sponsor remains unknown. The Griffon family, originally a fabric merchant, took on the highest civil (mairs, echevins, baillis) and religious (cured, priory) functions before extinguishing in the early 15th century.

Several prominent family members lived in this hotel. Philippe Ier Griffon (died before 1342) resided there as prosecutor of Dijon. His brother Girard, a bishop and mayor on several occasions, owned numerous properties in the city and financed a chapel at the Collège Saint-Étienne. John I, the chestnut of Salmaise, and Peter I, the last Viscount-mayor of the lineage, also lived there. Three cousins, Demoinges I, II and III, served the Church as parish priests in Dijon and its surroundings, without leaving heirs.

When the Griffon disappeared, the house changed hands several times. Shared between Philippe Geliot (bourgeois and rector of the hospital of the Maladière) and Bernard de Fontennes, it was then rented by knight Pierre Le Berruyer before being acquired by Guienot Bonnot, vicomte-mayeur de Dijon (1409–1415). In the 16th century, Sir Rémond Clemenceaut divided it: his heirs retained the right side, while the left (No. 6) was sold to Pelu, master in the Chamber of Accounts.

The facade of the Hotel des Griffons, remarkable for its Gothic elements (trilobed tympans, sculpture of the Virgin), was inscribed in historical monuments in 1926. Its history illustrates the social dynamics of medieval Burgundy, where families of modest origin could gain power through trade and alliances. Today located 4 rue de la Chaudronnerie, there remains a rare testimony of 14th century Dijon civil architecture.

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