Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Aubriot Hotel, located at 40 rue des Forges in Dijon, is one of the oldest private hotels in the city, dating from the early thirteenth century. Built on a vast vaulted cellar on octagonal pillars, it initially served as a hall for changers, known as the "currency vault". This cellar, partially buried today, once opened on the streets of Forges and Musette, suggesting public or semi-public use. The 13th century facade, on the upper floor, has four arches in the middle of the hangar, falling back on columns, framed by blind arches.

In the 14th century, after an alleged fire, the facade was remodeled to align with the street, with an elevated ground floor and trilobed bays. Hugues Aubriot (1320?-1382), son of a Dijonian lender, was born in this hotel and became its owner. In the 16th century, two stone windows decorated with terms were added. In 1739, the states of Burgundy bought the hotel to install the presidial (Royal Court), adding a monumental portal with allegorical statues of the Force and Justice.

During the Revolution, the hotel became a national property and was sold in 1796 to the Blum brothers. In 1800, the facade was modernized: the relief decorations were wooded and coated. It was only in 1908 that Stéphen Liegeard, poet and heir of the hotel, rediscovered the original facade under the crepe. Together with architect Louis Perreau and sculptor Xavier Schanosky, he undertook a faithful restoration, guided by an 18th century engraving. The destroyed elements (columns, statues, tympanos) are reconstituted, and crows carved of characters are added. The hotel, bequeathed to the city of Dijon, briefly houses a museum before being sold to a private owner in 2009.

The vaulted cellar was listed as a historical monument in 2009, and was classified with the entire hotel in 2011. Its architecture thus combines medieval elements (archives, vaults), Renaissance additions (lucarnes), and modern restorations. The successive transformations reflect its varied use: place of exchange, court, private residence, and finally protected heritage.

Architects and sculptors who marked its history include Charles-Elie Le Jolivet (18th-century layouts), Louis Perreau and Xavier Schanosky (remediation of 1908), and Eugene Piron, author of the recreated allegorical statues. The hotel illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Dijon, from medieval shopping activities to contemporary heritage preservation.

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