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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Hotel de Mesmay is a private hotel located at 9 rue Moncey in Besançon, Doubs department. Built in the 19th century (circa 1836) by the architect Alphonse Delacroix for the Marquis de Vaulchier, it is distinguished by its central coach pass giving access to a common courtyard with another hotel located on Rue des Granges. This building illustrates the bisontin urbanism of the period, marked by urban transformations such as the widening of Baron Street.

The hotel's facades, made of rough stone with street-side bosses and covered with stone, reflect a sober but elegant architectural style. The cochère door, decorated with a cast iron tympanum and sculptures, as well as the central window surmounted by a triangular pediment, bear witness to a refined decoration. Together, including the staircase in the work, integrates into a larger urban project, where the city had ceded parcels after the acquisition of the old house Demolombe.

Partially listed as historical monuments since 1942 (falls and roofs on street and courtyard), the Mesmay hotel embodies the aristocratic and architectural heritage of Besançon. Its history is linked to that of the Marquis de Vaulchier, who also owned an adjacent hotel on Rue des Granges, and to the architect Delacroix, who also built his own home there. These elements make it a privileged witness to the urban and social evolution of the city in the 19th century.

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