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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bacot de Romand Hotel is an emblematic mansion of the Old Towers, built in the 17th century for its central part, while its two wings and commons date from the 18th century. Its architecture reflects this double period, with a central house body flanked by asymmetric wings of lesser height. The north facade, decorated with pilasters in bosses and a pediment decorated with the Babot monogram surrounded by palm trees, bears witness to the prestige of this family of merchants. The historic access to the main gate, located in the east wing, was through an 18th century corridor in a nearby building, illustrating the urban adaptations of the era.

The hotel successively belonged to the Babot family, then by inheritance to the Guyon family of Montlivault, who transformed it into apartments around 1930. Although its original interior distribution is today irreconstructible, the building retains remarkable elements such as its roof with long broken sections, its skylights, and a small forebody covered with a terrace, added in the 18th century. Ranked a Historical Monument since June 27, 1946 (for its facades and roofs), it embodies the evolution of the aristocratic and bourgeois tourist heritage, between residential function and architectural heritage.

Located at 39 and 41 rue Emile-Zola, the hotel is located in a neighborhood marked by the commercial and noble history of Tours. The Babots, the wealthy merchants, left their mark through symbolic details such as the monogram "M and LT" still visible. The transformation into apartments in the 20th century reflects the social changes in the heritage, while its inscription as historic monuments in 1946 underscores its heritage value. Today, although closed to the visit, there remains a tangible testimony of the town planning and architecture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Touraine.

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