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Origin and history

The Hotel du Congrès is a mansion built in the 18th century in Châtillon-sur-Seine, in the Côte-d'Or department. On the eve of the French Revolution, he belonged to the Morel de Villiers family, who also owned the Château de Villiers-le-Duc. Its architecture reflects the style of the aristocratic residences of the time, with characteristic facades and roofs, as well as an entrance gate opening onto an inner courtyard.

From 7 February to 11 March 1814, the hotel was the headquarters of the Châtillon Congress, a series of negotiations between the ambassadors of the Allied sovereigns (Austria, Russia, Prussia, England) and Armand Augustin Louis de Caulaincourt, representing Napoleon I. These discussions, which had no concrete results, marked an attempt at peace before the fall of the Empire. The building derives its current name from this historic event.

The Congress Hall has been partially listed in the Historic Monuments since 21 March 1983. The protected elements include facades, roofs, the entrance gate, the staircase with its ramp, as well as several rooms and their interior decorations (one bedroom on the ground floor, two living rooms and one alcove room on the first floor). These protections highlight the heritage value of the building, both for its architecture and its role in French diplomatic history.

Located at 3 rue du Congrès, the hotel illustrates the Burgundy heritage of the eighteenth century. Its history is closely linked to the political upheavals of the late Old Regime and the First Empire, while at the same time testifying to the way of life of the provincial elites of the time. Today, there remains a symbol of the international negotiations that marked the end of the Napoleonic reign.

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