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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The King's Hotel in Orléans is a historic monument whose brick and stone construction, dated the 4th quarter of the 15th century, is traditionally attributed to King Louis XI. According to tradition, he abandoned the royal residence of the Châtelet to build this large house near the collegiate Saint-Aignan. Shortly before his death, he gave it to the church in exchange for a mass anniversary, thus sealing his connection with this place.

The building has undergone major modifications over the centuries, especially in the mid-19th century, where it lost its two corner turrets and its central staircase turret. Its interior, completely redesigned, retains little trace of the original provisions, with the exception of an oak frame dating from 1480. This structure, composed of chevron and arbaltrier farms, bears witness to medieval construction techniques, with assemblages in a mantle and counterselling systems by umbrella and oblique ties.

Ranked a Historic Monument in 2009, the King's Hotel today protects its facades, roof and plate of its plot. Although its current use (visits, rentals) is not specified, its hybrid architecture – between royal heritage and subsequent transformations – makes it a rare testimony to the Orléan urbanism of the Renaissance.

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