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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel de la Monnaie, also known as the Monnaie Hotel, the Governor's House or Langlade Hotel, is a private hotel located in Périgueux, Dordogne department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Built in the 16th century, it is located in the preserved area of the city centre, on the right bank of l'Isle, at 24 rue du Plantier. Although its name evokes a monetary function or a governor residence, no historical source confirms these assumptions. The appellations therefore remain uncertain, as Guy Penaud points out in Le Grand Livre de Périgueux, where he specifies that the idea of having beaten money seems inaccurate, as does the assertion that he would have sheltered a governor.

The hotel's architecture is distinguished by two bodies of houses connected in square by a polygonal turret housing a spiral staircase. The ground floor features an arcade gallery with typical Perigord columns, as well as carved box ceilings. The latter represent emblematic motifs like a putto terrorizing a dragon, a strong castle with a tree in its courtyard, and a man bust with a flowered beard. These decorative elements, characteristic of the Renaissance, bear witness to the artistic refinement of the era.

In terms of heritage, the hotel was partially protected as early as 1938, with the inscription of its chimneys as historical monuments. In 1980, its facades, roofs and two carved ceilings were classified, consolidating its historical and architectural value. Despite the lack of evidence of its original use, the building remains a remarkable example of the perigordin aristocratic habitat of the sixteenth century, mixing residential and symbolic functions.

Available sources, such as the Merimée or Monumentum base, highlight the lack of concrete elements to illuminate its name. Yet its location in a protected area and its stylistic features make it a key monument to local heritage. Today, the Mint Hotel is a private property, which limits its accessibility to the public, but its history and architecture continue to attract the interest of historians and heritage lovers.

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