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Origin and history

The Hotel d'Aux, now called the 11th Corps Hotel, is a neo-classical mansion built at the end of the 18th century in Nantes. Located at the corner of Place Maréchal-Foch and rue Tournefort, it was designed by architect Jean-Baptiste Ceineray between 1771 and 1774 for René Louis d'Aux, a white Creole owner of slaves and plantations in Santo Domingo. This project was part of a planning plan to transform the north-eastern section of the cathedral, including the destruction of the 15th century ramparts and the creation of the Place d'Armes.

The Hotel d'Aux was originally to be part of a symmetrical architectural ensemble around the Place d'Armes, including a twin building never built. After the Revolution, he housed the Prefects of the Loire-Inferior between 1800 and 1828, welcoming notably Napoleon I and Josephine de Beauharnais in 1808. In the 19th century, it was acquired by the State for the Ministry of the Army, then transformed several times. During World War II, he served as headquarters for the German Feldkommandantur led by Karl Hotz, murdered in 1941 by resistance fighters.

The hotel's architecture, in granite and slate roof, reflects neo-classical criteria. Its main façade, facing to the south, features a forebody surmounted by a triangular pediment decorated with two "wild men" framed by a shield. This pediment, unusual in Nantes for the time, and the Corinthian capitals make it a remarkable example of the style of Ceineray. Inside, the honorary stairwell, the large 18th-century living room with its woodwork and painted decorations inspired by François Boucher, as well as 18th-century white marble fireplaces, have been protected since the monument's inscription to historical monuments in 2012.

In 2019, work revealed an underground tunnel dating from the Second World War, linking the Hôtel d'Aux to the Saint-Félix tunnel. This passage, known to local historians, would have allowed the Germans to quietly evacuate the building in case of emergency. After the departure of the French army in 2011, the hotel was transformed into a private residence, marking a new stage in its history.

The Hotel d'Aux illustrates both Nantes' urban ambition in the 18th century and the historical upheavals that the city experienced, from the Revolution to the Second World War. Its architecture and history make it a valuable testimony to the heritage of Nantes.

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