Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel de la Pérate, located at 30 rue Gaston-Guillemet in Fontenay-le-Comte (Vendée), is a monument of the 3rd quarter of the 16th century. Its street façade, made of cut stone, contrasts with the rest of the stone construction. Originally covered with tiles, it now has a mixed roof (slate for the front house, tile for the rear) and a brazed stair turret. The vaulted basements and the screw staircase testify to its defensive and residential architecture.

The hotel was built by Jehan du Boulay in 1557, after its acquisition, replacing an older structure. The arms of the Boulay family, visible on a missing chimney, confirm their property. In 1581, the couple of the Boulay-Gallier rented the residence to Jacques Gobin, receiver of the sizes. The name Perate would come from historical confusion, the Boulay family being the true sponsors.

Over the centuries, the hotel changed hands: from the Vivonnes to the 15th century, then to Félix de Chources (Lord of Malicorne) before 1557. He then went to Richard (1681), Courtin (1716), and Pierre Rochard de Landebergère (1733). In the 1930s, an armorious chimney, disassembled in 1878, was sold to an individual in Hyères. The building was partially classified as a Historical Monument in 1944 (fall and roof).

Subsequent changes include the destruction of a cariatide in the 19th century, the resumption of the back façade, and the transformation of the courtyard into a living room in the 20th century. Under the Old Regime, the hotel depended on the fief de la Vau, linked to the royal estate after its seizure in the middle of the 15th century.

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