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Origin and history

The Hotel Carré de Candé is a private hotel built in the 4th quarter of the 18th century in La Rochelle, replacing the old hotel of Marsan, dating from the 16th century. The latter, left in 1617 at the hospital Saint-Barthélémy, was confiscated by Louis XIII in 1629 after sheltering Catherine de Parthenay, Duchess of Rohan, and her daughter Anne during the siege of the city. The Capuchins, to whom he was entrusted, planned to establish a convent there, but the project was abandoned because of the inadaptation of the premises.

In 1770, the then unoccupied hotel was sold to François-Charles Carré, seigneur de Candé, king's secretary-counsellor and treasurer of France at La Rochelle. He had the old building shaved to erect the current Transition-style building, characterized by a U-shaped plan, an inner courtyard, and an honour staircase decorated with medallions and carved garlands. The central body was raised in the 19th century, adding a third level.

The hotel, now privately owned, has been partially protected as historical monuments since 1997. Its inscription covers facades, roofs, the gate, the large axial lounge with its neo-classical woodwork, as well as the stairwell and its ironwork ramp. Although not open to the public, it bears witness to the aristocratic architecture of the Enlightenment, mixing medieval heritage and neo-classical influences.

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