Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Jassand Hotel, also known as the Jassaud Hotel, is an emblematic building in the centre of Blois, in the Loir-et-Cher department. Located on Rue Fontaine des Élus, in the historic district of Puits-Châtel, it combines medieval remains (like a wall bearing the Latin inscription HAEC. PETRA. DIVIDIT. and a portal on Rue Vauvert) to a structure mainly built in the second quarter of the 16th century for Jean Cottereau, treasurer of France under Louis XII and François I. An interior staircase turret and a bas-relief representing Jacob and Rachel, dated from the same time, testify to this construction campaign.

In the 17th century, the hotel was renovated for Nicolas de Jassaud, Secretary of State, with the addition of panels and chimneys, as confirmed by a description of sale in 1766. The building underwent a major reduction in the 19th century, with the sale of its wing, garden and commons to give way to a school. At that time, some Blésois also named him "hotel d'Aumale", with reference to Duke Claude II d'Aumale, linked to the family of Guise murdered in Blois in 1588.

Built of bluestone limestone and cut stone, the hotel consists of a basement, two square floors and a top floor, covered with a slate roof. Its dayless staircase and its 16th century bas-relief, protected since the inscription of the monument to historical monuments in 1928, make it a remarkable testimony of Renaissance civil architecture. Today, the building remains a private property, closed to visits.

The materials used — rubble, coated, and carved stone — as well as the presence of residual defensive elements (such as the medieval portal) highlight the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in the town planning of bliss. The Latin inscription on the medieval wall, "HAEC. PETRA. DIVIDIT." ("This divided stone"), adds a symbolic dimension to this heritage, reflecting the political and social transformations of Blois, royal city under François I.

External links