Construction of hotel XVIe siècle (≈ 1650)
Period of construction of the monument
19 mai 1937
Registration of the fronton
Registration of the fronton 19 mai 1937 (≈ 1937)
Protection for historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Fronton du portail : inscription by order of 19 May 1937
Key figures
Information non disponible - Unknown owner or sponsor
No name mentioned in sources
Origin and history
Count Curial's hotel is an iconic building located in Sées, Orne, Normandy. Built in the 16th century, it is distinguished by its Renaissance architecture, including its triangular pediment pierced by a rectangular opening. Three trapezoidal mascarons support the entrapment, adding a decorative touch characteristic of the time.
The monument is partially protected as historical monuments: its pediment was inscribed by ministerial decree on 19 May 1937. This official recognition underscores the heritage value of this architectural element. The hotel is located at 13 rue des Cordeliers, in the city centre of Sées, a commune marked by its medieval and religious history.
In the 16th century, Sées was a dynamic city, integrated into the Duchy of Alençon and then into the province of Normandy. Private hotels, like Count Curial's, reflected the social status of their owners, often nobles or wealthy bourgeois. These urban residences served both as a place of life and as a representation, illustrating the influence of the Italian Renaissance in French architecture.
The region, then undergoing economic change, saw the co-existence of agricultural, craft and commercial activities. Monuments such as this hotel showed local prosperity and cultural exchanges with other European regions. Their preservation makes it possible today to understand the urban and architectural evolution of Normandy at this time.
The available data also indicate an approximate location, with an accuracy considered fair (level 5/10). No information is provided on public access, visit or possible contemporary reuse of the building. The main sources remain the Merimée and Monumentum bases, supplemented by Wikipedia references.
Finally, the inclusion of the pediment in the title of historical monuments in 1937 is part of a broader policy of protecting the French heritage, initiated in the nineteenth century. This administrative act preserved a remarkable element of Norman civil architecture, while emphasizing its historical and artistic interest.
