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Origin and history

The Hotel des Intentants de Champagne was born in the will of King Louis XV to offer a dignified seat to representatives of the Royal Authority in Champagne. In 1756, the sovereign acquired parcels in the centre of Châlons-en-Champagne to erect a building suitable for the intendant's functions, replacing the old mansions occupied until then. The works, entrusted to engineer Jean-Gabriel Legendre, began in 1759 and ended in 1764 for the central body, while the wings and the course of Ormesson were carried out by Jean-Baptiste Bochet de Coluel. The building, of classic style, symbolizes the provincial royal power.

At the time of the Revolution, the building was transformed into a barracks for a regiment of Hussards between 1792 and 1794, causing significant damage. In 1800 he became the prefecture of the department of the Marne, a role he still retained today. Major expansions were carried out between 1846 and 1848, with the addition of wings on Carnot and Jessay streets. Ranked a historic monument in 1930 for its facades, roofs and lounges, the hotel suffered a devastating fire on 1 June 2002, requiring a complete restoration completed in 2007.

Architecturally, the Hotel des Intendants is distinguished by its U-plan, its gate on street and its internal courtyards. The main body, made of Savonnières stone, has a square floor and a attic with broken panels, while the facades of the adjoining buildings are chalked. The honorary staircase, in metal frame, and slate roofs complete this representative set of 18th century administrative urban planning. Its history reflects the political changes of France, from the monarchy to the Republic.

The building now houses the services of the Marne prefecture and, through its successive protections (classification in 1930, inscription in 1922), bears witness to its heritage importance. Protected elements include facades, roofs, vestibule, stairway, large living room, and the fence wall and gate to Carnot Street. Owned by the department, it remains a symbol of central power in the region, while being a remarkable example of civil architecture of the Enlightenment century.

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