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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Fontenoy, located at 4-6 rue du Haut-Bourgeois in Nancy, was built between 1722 and 1723 by architect Germain Boffrand for Pierre-Georges Le Preudh This monument illustrates the aristocratic urbanism of the early eighteenth century, with a monumental facade on the street, a courtyard bordered by wings, and a closed garden (transformed into a public square in 1934). Its architecture is inspired by the Ferraris and Custine hotels, typical of the neo-Nancean elegance under Duke Léopold.

In the 19th century, the hotel changed owners several times, including the Marquis Albert de Frégeville, who had important works carried out there: suppression of the original communes, reconstruction in the backyard, and modification of the interior decorations (stairs, lounges). These transformations reflect the evolution of the tastes and uses of the Lorraine aristocracy. In 1922, the town of Nancy became the owner, before setting up the Administrative Court of Appeal in 1989, marking its transition from private to public service.

Partially ranked in 1944 (facades, roofs, fountain), the hotel retains remarkable elements such as a monumental Italian staircase, supporting panelling, and decorated ceilings. Its history thus combines architectural heritage, aristocratic life, and judicial institution. The fountain of the courtyard and the interior decorations (studded in the Palissy base) testify to its past prestige.

The original garden, divided into six symmetrical parts, was reduced in 1934 during the drilling of Henry's Brothers Street. Today, the Bichat Square occupies part of this space. The hotel embodies both the heritage of the Enlightenment in Lorraine and the adaptation of historical monuments to contemporary needs, as the seat of a major administrative jurisdiction.

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