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Origin and history

The Hotel de Warenghien de Flory, located on Rue de la Porte Morel in Douai, was built in 1754 by Georges Durand, lord of Elecourt, architect and builder of fortifications. Acquisced as land for 5,000 guilders, the hotel was designed according to the architectural rules of 1718, reflecting the dominant French style after the installation of the Flanders Parliament in Douai in 1713. Its sober facade on street contrasts with an elegant Italian-style courtyard, typical of the customsian residences of the time.

In 1780, the hotel was sold to Bathilde de Saint Aldégonde, an abbess of Flines, who was planning to set up a refuge for his religious community, a project finally abandoned. Rented to a magistrate of the Douai Parliament, the building became national in 1791 before being acquired by Louis Joseph de Warenghien de Flory, former councillor in the Flanders Parliament. The latter, close to Merlin de Douai, will house his son-in-law, General Lahure, before the family transmits it over several generations.

The hotel experienced military requisitions during the two world wars: it will house German pilots, including Manfred von Richthofen, during the First War, then suffered major damage in 1944 during an ally bombardment against the nearby station. Ranked a historic monument on August 18, 1944, it was restored under the direction of Gérard de Warenghien and the chief architect of the Historic Monuments. Still owned by the Warenghien family after more than two centuries, it embodies the history of the Douaisis.

Architecturally, the hotel illustrates the transition between the Flemish and French influences, with a sandstone and limestone facade decorated with joined bricks. Its quadrilateral, aligned on the public road in contrast to local traditions, and its inner courtyard more worked, underline this duality. The archives also mention its role in the judicial and military life of Douai, from the Flanders Parliament to the German occupation.

Historical sources, including Duthillœul's (1860) work and the Dinaux archives, confirm its heritage importance. Today, the Hotel de Warenghien de Flory remains a preserved testimony of the Douaisian aristocracy, linked to figures like Lahure or the Warenghien, and a symbol of resilience to the conflicts of the 20th century.

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