Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Hotel de la Bessière is a mansion built in limestone in the 4th quarter of the 16th century, located in the Haute de Bar-le-Duc, rue des Ducs-de-Bar. It embodies the Renaissance style, with a portal and bays decorated with canned Corinthian pilasters, separated by horizontal bands. The windows, removed in the 18th century, bear witness to subsequent architectural changes. The attic floor, decorated with six gargoyles, is a rare vestige of this type with those of the Neuf-Castel, having escaped the destructions of the nineteenth century.

The writer Georges Bernanos lived there from 1924 to 1926, during which time he wrote his first novel, Sous le soleil de Satan (published in 1926). A commemorative plaque recalls this stay. The hotel was classified as Monument Historique on 5 July 1993, protecting its 19th century facades, roofs, pavilions, as well as the terrace and support wall of the 18th century, including the garden below.

The official protection also covers small brick pavilions added in the 19th century, illustrating the evolution of the building throughout the eras. Gargoyles, decorative and functional elements, highlight the persistent influence of Renaissance architecture in the region. The exact address, 47 rue des Ducs-de-Bar, confirms its anchoring in the urban heritage of Bar-le-Duc, in Meuse (Great East).

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