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Origin and history

The Hotel de Charnières-Louet, also known as Hotel de Charnières, is a 16th century mansion located in Angers, Maine-et-Loire. It was built in 1558 by architects Jean Delespine and Jean Guillot for René de Charnières, lawyer and grand provost of Maréchaux de France. This monument, emblematic of the Second Angelvin Renaissance, is distinguished by its regular U-shaped plan, its symmetrical pavilions and its large body of houses at the back of the courtyard. The building marks a turning point in the career of Jean Delespine, who becomes one of the main architects of the region.

The family of Hinges, then Louet by covenant, occupied the hotel until the Revolution. In 1587 René Louet, a private lieutenant and master of petitions, inherited the house by marriage and added murals at the end of the 16th century. His son, Charles Louet, mayor of Angers and councillor of state, had the court enlarged and built a carross shed in 1644, which had now disappeared. The interior decorations evolve over the centuries, with painted ceilings, armored shields, and a presumed portrait of Louis XIV in the large hall.

In the 18th century, Mélanie-Françoise Louët, the last heiress, undertook major renovations: the living room was decorated with panels carved by Le Romain around 1775, while exterior modifications, such as the balcony and the gate gate, were added. The garden, initially structured in four parts, is extended after the demolition of the ramparts in the 19th century. Despite partial destructions (carrosses, pavilions, wall paintings), the hotel retains original elements, such as its ramp-on-rampe stone staircase and its painted shale facades.

Ranked as a Historic Monument in 2001, the Hôtel de Charnières-Louet bears witness to the architectural and social evolution of the Angeline aristocracy, from the wars of Religion to the Revolution. Its painted decorations, sculptures and U-shaped plan make it a remarkable example of Renaissance urban habitat, marked by successive interventions by its local owners and artisans, such as the sculptor Le Romain.

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