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Origin and history

The Hotel du Bas du Gast is a mansion built in 1742 by Michel du Mans du Chalais, royal receiver of the Laval salt attic. Located at 6 Rue de la Halle-aux-Toiles, it replaces the former Marest hotel and integrates an older building into its northern wing. Its garden façade, decorated with a triangular pediment decorated with pigeons and a basket of flowers symbolizing love and purity, reflects the refined architectural style of the eighteenth century. The openings feature carved lintels of varied motifs: abundant horns, fruits, flowers and masks.

The hotel, plan in U, was surrounded by French and English gardens, which were built around the 1920s. The interior was expanded in 1762 and was completed in 1773, with high quality woodwork and panelling. Together, including houses, commons, basements of the old salt attic and gardens with their retaining walls, was inscribed in historical monuments on 10 June 1997. Private property, it bears witness to the urban and architectural history of Laval.

The hotel owes its name to its location in the lower part of Gast Square, as well as to its former owners, such as Aubert's family. Its architecture combines classical elegance and medieval heritage, visible in the partial integration of older structures. The shields armoried on the balcony balustrade and carved decorations underline its status as aristocratic hotel, linked to the royal administration via the salt attic. Today, there remains a remarkable example of the Laval heritage of the Enlightenment century.

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