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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Ducassé Hotel is a former mansion in Lectoure, Gers, built in the 12th century, with subsequent renovations. It is located at 41 National Street, near Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais Cathedral. Its current name comes from Pierre Ducassé, judge-mage and president on the 17th-century senechalth floor of Armagnac (attested in 1682), who owned it and probably had it renovated. The building is not very different from the other buildings on the street because of its classic stone façade, but its interest lies in its two vaulted rooms in a broken cradle, maintaining an exceptional painted decor.

The interior rooms, dated from the beginning of the 14th century for their paintings, present an abstract and geometric decor: a fake machine of simulated stones, ochre motifs, and stylized animal figures in rectangular frames. These frescoes, rare for the period, cover two thirds of the vaults. The ground floor, which is still undetermined in use, has original buttresses and doors in full hanger, partially modified. The upper floor, rebuilt in the 16th century, includes a staircase gallery and marble fireplaces in Restoration style.

Ranked a historic monument in 1959 for its vaulted rooms and their paintings, the Ducassé Hotel illustrates the architectural and decorative evolution of a noble residence in Armagnac. The renovations of the 16th, 17th and 19th centuries (notably by Pierre Ducassé and works under the Restoration) preserved this medieval testimony, while adapting to successive uses. Its history also reflects changes in owners and appellations, typical of Lectoure private hotels.

Not to be confused with the Hôtel des Trois Boules, another property of Pierre Ducassé, sometimes mistakenly called "Hôtel Ducassé". The two buildings, although linked by their history, retain distinct characteristics. The Ducassé hotel remains a remarkable example of medieval civil architecture, where Romanesque heritage and later transformations are mixed.

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