Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Franquemont is a mansion located in Montbéliard, Doubs, built in the 3rd quarter of the 16th century. It belonged to a bastard branch of the Counts of Montbéliard, the family of Franquemont, who owned it from 1397 to 1580. The present building was completely rebuilt in 1559, as evidenced by the date engraved on the stair tower, accompanied by the coat of arms now erased. Originally, the hotel was adjacent to the Pouhat Gate (or Saint Peter Gate), an entrance to the medieval fortifications of Montbéliard, dismantled under Louis XIV. Its strategic position and the presence of vestiges of ramparts on the property suggest an initial defensive vocation.

The hotel's architecture follows a regular stone plan, with a basement, a square floor and a high floor. It houses two vaulted cot cellars, a 16th century well still visible in the courtyard, and a stair tower dating from 1559. The facades, roofs and these elements have been protected as historical monuments since 1989. Over the centuries, the building has undergone changes: the right wing was changed in the 18th century, the left wing raised in the 20th century, and the interior was redeveloped in the 19th century, notably with the creation of a large staircase.

Successive property of the Gueldrich, Sponeck, Forstner and Villars families, the Franquemont hotel illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Montbéliard, marked by its comtal past and its progressive integration into the Franche-Comté. The pavements of the street of Belfort preserve the trace of the old door Pouhat, recalling the defensive role of the building in the medieval city. Today, it bears witness to both the Renaissance heritage and subsequent transformations, while preserving rare medieval elements, such as the remains of the ramparts.

External links