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Origin and history

The Hotel de Tourville is a private hotel built around 1765 in the town of Viviers, in Ardèche, for Pierre-Hilaire Chapuis de Tourville, whose monogram still adorns the entrance door. Although the name of the architect remains unknown, the building illustrates the refined civil architecture of the first half of the eighteenth century. Its location, on an already built plot, suggests a strategic reuse of the land in the historic heart of Viviers.

In 1807, the hotel was acquired by Jean Dupan, who sold it thirty years later (1837) to the Congregation of the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. The latter set up a school there, thus transforming the vocation of the place. The building was finally listed as a historical monument in 1953, with protection covering its facades, roofs, interior decoration on the ground floor and its wrought iron staircase. Today, it belongs to an association, although its access to the public (visits, rentals) is not specified in the sources.

The remarkable elements of the hotel include its wrought iron staircase ramp and 18th-century interior decorations, which bear witness to the delight of its first owners. The Grand Street, where it is located (at n°43), was a major axis of Viviers, an episcopal city whose heritage reflects both the ecclesiastical influence and the rise of the local bourgeoisie under the Old Regime. The accuracy of its geographical location is estimated to be satisfactory (note 6/10), based on available data.

Sources also mention a card loading and photographic credits (MOSSOT, Creative Commons license), but no additional details on any restorations or contemporary uses. The hotel remains a representative example of provincial private hotels, marking the urban landscape of Viviers with its aristocratic and religious history.

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