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Origin and history

Hotel de Grospain is a private hotel built in the late 15th century or early 16th century by the family of Grospain, a local noble lineage. Located at 30 rue Saint-Laurent in Ornans (Doubs), it embodies the bourgeois civil architecture of this period, with defensive elements such as a scauguette and partially preserved towers.

In 1590, the city of Ornans purchased the building from Jeanne-Baptiste de Grospain to install its town hall, a function which he would fill until 1825. On that date, it was sold to an individual who changed its structure, including by trimming its towers. Only the stone screw staircase, located near the current post office, has been protected as historical monuments since 19 June 1939.

The hotel illustrates the evolution of public buildings in Franche-Comté: first aristocratic residence, it becomes a place of municipal power before returning to the private domain. Its architecture combines medieval features (tours, scauguette) and later developments, reflecting the urban transformations of Ornans between Renaissance and 19th century.

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