Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Fontfreyde Hotel is an emblematic monument of Clermont-Ferrand, located on Rue des Gras, whose origins date back to the 16th century. Ranked a historic monument since 1912, it is distinguished by its Renaissance architecture, with two houses connected by a staircase in a screw topped by a turret. Its facades, typical of the second half of the 16th century, feature doric, ionic and corinthian pilasters, as well as adorned skylights. Since 2010, it has hosted a photographic centre dedicated to the dissemination of contemporary works and the production of artistic residences.

The building was built on the foundations of a medieval building, as evidenced by archaeological excavations that revealed levels of ancient occupation (I-II century) and a 13th century cellar. In the 16th century, Gabriel de Fontfreyde, a Clermontian merchant, acquired and rebuilt the hotel, with his arms and those of his wife. His son, Jean de Fontfreyde, changed the staircase and the frame, adding family coats of arms. The transformations continued in the 17th and 18th centuries, notably under the Dumas de Labro and Rongier families.

The Fontfreyde Hotel has had various vocations: private residence, museum of local history (1921-1989), then place of temporary exhibitions before becoming a photographic center in 2010. The town of Clermont-Ferrand, owner since 1912, has developed artistic programming focused on contemporary photography, including monographic exhibitions, artist residences and mediation actions. The venue actively participates in local cultural life, notably through the Nicéphore + Festival.

Archaeological excavations in 2001 confirmed the existence of a building in the late Middle Ages, organized around an inner courtyard with wells and stairs. The rue des Gras, on which the hotel gives, was a major axis of the medieval city, enhanced by four meters in the 15th century. The original stands, destroyed in 1796, bear witness to the urban evolution of Clermont-Ferrand. The hotel's architecture reflects this historical stratification, combining Renaissance elements and subsequent modifications.

In the 18th century, the hotel passed into the hands of several bourgeois families, including the Dumas de Labro and the Rongier, before being acquired by the city in 1912. Major restorations were undertaken in the 1920s under the direction of architect Gabriel Ruprich-Robert, preserving the Renaissance elements while adapting the building to its new museum function. The stained glass windows of Adrien Baratte, added in 1934, trace the history of the hotel through the coats of arms of the family owners and the arms of the city.

Since 2004, the Fontfreyde Hotel has been hosting photographers in residence, helping to create a contemporary visual background of Clermont-Ferrand. Guest artists include Charles Fréger, Éric Baudelaire, and Stéphanie Lacombe. The centre regularly publishes catalogues and organizes meetings with the public, strengthening its role as a place of artistic creation and diffusion in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.

Future

Since April 2010, it is a photographic center.

External links