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Origin and history

The Hotel de Custine, better known as Hotel de Ludres, is a private hotel built in the early 18th century (between 1713 and 1715) in Nancy, Place des Dames (now Colonel Fabien Square). It was designed by architect Germain Boffrand, first architect of Duke Léopold I of Lorraine, for Christophe de Custine (1661-1755), colonel of the duke's guards, councillor of state, then governor of Nancy (1729-1737) and grand baili (1738-1752). The hotel, in classic Lorrain style, is distinguished by its closed courtyard and its partially preserved interior decorations, although redesigned in the 19th century.

The hotel changed hands in 1793, sold as national property after the Revolution. It was bought in 1794 by Elzéar de Coriolis, father of the physicist Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis, who installed a wallpaper factory initially located at Cours Léopold. This activity ceased in 1812 when Coriolis died. In 1835, the building was acquired by the receiver of the department of Meurthe, who established the main Recipe there. Since 1962, the state has owned the property and the building houses tax services, such as the municipal treasury.

Ranked a historic monument in 1944 for its facades and roofs, the hotel is also part of Nancy's preserved area since 1996. Its U-shaped plan, with a curvilinear body of building at the back of the courtyard, recalls that of other hotels in the Netherlands designed by Boffrand, such as the Ferraris and Fontenoy hotels. The commons and lateral wings were modified in the 19th century, particularly to directly connect the buildings. Despite these transformations, the hotel retains remarkable architectural elements, such as the cochère door decorated with pilasters and composite capitals with a warrior decor.

The hotel also has a symbolic history linked to its successive owners. After Christophe de Custine, he owes his present name to Charles-Louis de Ludres, who owned it until 1793. The original coat of arms, framed by savages and a netting decoration, disappeared in the 19th century, replaced by an additional bay. The interior decorations of the noble floor, redone around 1850, are inspired by those of the hotel of Fontenoy, another creation of Boffrand. Sold to a private owner in 2011, the hotel is expected to be rehabilitated in the near future.

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