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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel de Peyré is a former mansion located at 2 rue du Château in Pau, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques. Built on the initiative of the Peyre family, it is one of the oldest buildings in the city. The central pavilion, dating from the 16th century, is the oldest part, while the two side pavilions would have been added in the early 17th century. Peyre's family resided there until 1920, when the hotel was transformed into apartments, leading to the disappearance of many period decors such as woodwork and tapestries.

The façade of the hotel was largely redesigned in the 20th century, with the removal of the small-panels and windows on the first floor, replaced by modern windows. The ground floor has been converted into shops. Despite these transformations, some original elements remain, such as the large wooden door nailed with its basset-shaped bumper, a peaches peaches pebbly pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles pebbles. These remains bear witness to the hotel's past prestige.

The hotel in Peyré is also linked to a literary anecdote: Alexandre Dumas would have drawn inspiration from the historical heritage of Peyre's family to create certain characters of the Three Musketeers. Today, although the building is a private property, its lobby remains open to the public all year round. The hotel has been listed as historical monuments since 2 July 1987 for its facades, roofs, vestibule, floor and staircase.

According to a local tradition, an underground passage would link the Peyré hotel to the Henri IV castle, although no definitive evidence had been established. During work in the inner courtyard, a well-like structure with steps and a gallery primer was discovered, fuelling this hypothesis. The hotel still retains its residential use today, with the exception of the ground floor, occupied by a bookshop and a souvenir shop.

Architecturally, the hotel consists of a central pavilion with an imperial roof, flanked by two unequal pavilions. The entrance, marked by a cochère door decorated with pilasters and a broken triangular pediment, gives access to a hall paved with pebbles and a monumental staircase. The floors, formerly reserved for noble housing, now house private apartments, while the former outbuildings (kitchens, stables) have been converted into commercial spaces.

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