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Origin and history

The Montlaur hotel, located in Moulins in the Allier department (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), is an emblematic example of 18th-century private hotels. Its architecture is distinguished by a body of house on street, an inner courtyard transformed into a garden, and commons at the back. The facades, animated by sandstone chains and black and red diamond bricks, reflect the craftsmanship of the time. The access is made by a cochère door in the middle of the hanger, decorated with bosses and surmounted by a cornice decorated with Greeks.

Inside, two pieces stand out for their decorative richness. A panelled dining room, on the ground floor of n°35, preserves ground cupboards, a gypsum fireplace top and a painting depicting a gallant scene. An alcove room, always equipped with its panelling, closets and stone fireplace, bears witness to the comfort and elegance of the bourgeois interiors of the Enlightenment. These elements, as well as the iron staircase, have been protected since the hotel's partial admission to historic monuments in 1989.

The Hotel de Montlaur embodies the lifestyle of the aristocracy or the affluent bourgeoisie of Moulins in the 18th century. At that time, the city, then capital of the Duchy of Bourbonnais, was a dynamic administrative and cultural centre. Private hotels, such as Montlaur, served as both a residence and a place of social representation, reflecting the status and refined tastes of their owners. Their concentration in the city centre illustrates the importance of Moulins as a pole of power and regional prestige.

The protection of the hotel in 1989 preserved remarkable architectural and decorative elements, such as facades, roofs, and interior woodwork. These features are a valuable testimony to the civil architecture of the eighteenth century in Bourbonnais. The exact address, 33-37 Cours Jean-Jaurès, places the monument in a historical area of Moulins, strengthening its anchor in the local heritage.

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