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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building called the Temple du Goût is a former mansion built in 1753 by architect Pierre Rousseau for the shipowner Guillaume Grou, on Feydeau Island in Nantes. This project is part of an urban complex originally designed in 1723 by Jacques Goubert for 24 identical buildings, but abandoned due to the collapse of marshy soils. The lifting of the obligation of architectural unity in 1743 revived constructions, allowing Rousseau to build this jewel of the "Nantais baroque", characterized by its asymmetrical facades, its black marble balconies and its mascarons evoking triangular commerce.

The construction, completed in 1754, combines luxury and technical innovation, such as the "Dutch grid" to stabilize the foundations. The building, nicknamed " Temple du Goût" for its spectacular decor, houses apartments prioritized according to their prestige, with salons decorated with paintings attributed to François Boucher's workshop. Damaged during the 1943 bombings, it was restored in the 1950s, replacing the original tuft with St.Savinian stone. Ranked a historic monument in 1945, it remains an exceptional testimony of the architecture and the Nantes society of the eighteenth century.

The exterior architecture is distinguished by a pyramidal organization of balconies, rocky ironworks and a triangular pediment. The mascarons, representing a woman with flower garlands and a turbanized man, recall the port activities of Nantes. Inside, the granite propeller staircase, vaulted and illuminated by galleries, illustrates Rousseau's technical mastery. The apartments, distributed in six levels, reflect a strict social hierarchy, from warehouses on the ground floor to attices reserved for domesticity.

The Temple of Taste also embodies the technical challenges of its time: built on marshy soil, it rests on a radier inspired by Dutch methods. Materials, such as Misery granite or Saumur tuffeau, are chosen for their strength or aesthetics. Despite the transformations (partial destruction in 1943, reconstruction with modern materials), the building retains its original design and interior decoration, especially on the second floor, where paintings attributed to Boucher's entourage remain.

A symbol of the splendour of the Nantes shipowners, the Temple of Taste reflects a time when the city derives its wealth from the maritime trade, including the slave trade. Its classification in 1945 underlines its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its social history. Today private property, there remains a rare example of a private hotel entirely preserved, offering a unique insight into the life and aspirations of the Nantes elites in the Enlightenment century.

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