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Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel des Bordes, located at 43 rue de Nièvre in Nevers, is an emblematic example of 18th-century nobiliary architecture. Built around 1647 by Louise d'Assienville, Marquise d'Epoisses and Countess des Bordes, it was designed to reflect the prestige of its owners. Its spatial organization, with a courtyard framed by communes and a French garden, illustrates the classic model of private hotels "between courtyard and garden". The doorway, the oval oculus and the curvilinear pediment adorned with flower garlands make it a remarkable architectural testimony of this time.

On September 11, 1714, the Hôtel des Bordes hosted a major historic event: the reception of Marie Casimire de La Grange d'Arquien, queen of Poland, by her sister, the Countess of Bethune. This moment underlined the social and political importance of the family owner, linked to the European aristocracy. The building, which has been a part of the Historical Monuments since 1944, still retains original elements such as its monumental portal and its front-body façade, symbols of the architectural refinement of the Enlightenment century.

The Hôtel des Bordes is part of an urban context where Nevers, then the Duchy of Nivernais, was marked by an influential aristocracy and an active social life. Private hotels, such as this one, served as frameworks for receptions and exchanges between local elites and visiting personalities. Their architecture reflected both the economic power of the owners and the aesthetic codes of the time, mixing symmetry, carved decorations and hierarchical spatial organization.

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