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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel de la Basecque is a mansion built in the 18th century in Arras, in a classic style marked by the use of local white limestone and grey sandstone for the building. Organised around a square courtyard, it includes a body of main houses and communes, with two entrances: one on the rue Emile-Legrelle (cochère door adorned with a medallion and pilasters), the other on the rue des Portes-Cochères. The gate gate, the only Art Deco element of the building, is distinguished by its geometric medallions and its Greek frieze, contrasting with the classic ensemble. The facades, rhythmic by large bays, and roofs were protected by a classification order in 1976.

The hotel was built on the initiative of Albert-Marie-Josephe-Imbert, Count of the Basecque, who lived there with his family until the Revolution. Confiscated as national property, he was bought by his son, Albert-François-Marie-Imbert, who then rented him to the prefect to house Monseigneur de la Tour d'Auvergne, bishop of Arras. In 1825, the family Le Caron de Canettemont became its owner until 1901. In the 20th century, the building houses two banks, then a boarding school (Institut Jeanne d'Arc) until 2006. Only the gate of the Rue des Portes-Cochères, originally made of classic wood, was replaced in the 20th century, as evidenced by a 19th century plan.

The structure of the hotel, unchanged since the 18th century, reflects the spatial organization typical of the aristocratic houses of the time. Its history illustrates the political and social upheavals of the Revolution to the present day, from the hands of noble families to institutional or private uses. Today owned by an association, its facades and roofs remain protected, thus preserving an architectural and historical heritage of Arras.

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