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Origin and history

The hotel of the archidiacon of the chapter of Saint-Gatien, located at 2bis rue Albert-Thomas in Tours, is a mansion built around 1775 in a late neo-classical style. It replaced a medieval building from the 13th to the 15th centuries, which still has geminied windows and murals. Long attached to the College of Canons of the Cathedral of Saint-Gatien, it was sold as a national property in 1791–92, then acquired by the Pécard family, a tourist merchant, in the early 19th century.

The main façade, adorned with a balustrade and a triangular pediment bearing the J.P.C. monogram (Jacques Pécard), and the roofs, were inscribed in the historical monuments by order of 8 July 1946. The building is partly based on the remains of the Gallo-Roman enclosure of Caesarodnum, while its lateral wings, reproducing frieze motifs, date back to the 18th century. The 19th-century changes concerned the south and east facades.

In the 21st century, the hotel is home to the preparatory classes of Descartes High School. Its inner courtyard separates it from the rue Albert-Thomas, former medieval Grande Rue parallel to the Loire, major artery of Tours until the 1770s. Protected elements include facades, roofs, and medieval remains embedded in the current structure.

The architecture thus combines Gallo-Roman, medieval and neo-classical heritages, illustrating the historical strata of Tours. Decorative friezes, inspired by ancient meanders, and canned pilasters highlight the influence of Greek and Roman models revisited in the Enlightenment century. The property belongs to the commune after its private period, marking its anchor in the local public heritage.

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