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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Leglas-Maurice hotel, located at 134 Paul-Bellamy Street in Nantes, was built in the 19th century to house the residence and industrial showcase of François-Pierre Leglas-Maurice (1821–1914). The latter, heir to a dynasty of carpenters founded in 1792, modernized furniture production in Nantes and extended the reputation of his company far beyond the department. He was a municipal councillor, vice-president of the Men's Labor, and a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and was responsible for the local industrial development.

Expropriated in 1872 during the drilling of the rue de Strasbourg, Leglas-Maurice acquired a property of 2 hectares at Mont-Goguet (96 rue de Rennes, future 134 rue Paul-Bellamy). Between 1873 and 1885, he transformed the mansion into a setting reflecting his art: paneling in Hungarian oak, box ceilings, neo-Louis XV and neo-Louis XVI salons, and stained glass windows signed by Antoine Meuret. The building, of neo-Renaissance style, became the symbol of its industrial empire.

The company, taken over in 1912 by his son Maurice-François Leglas-Maurice and his son-in-law Léon Jamin under the name Leglas-Maurice and Jamin, became one of the most important in France in furnishing. Specializing in serial and luxury furniture, she equipped the Nantes and Saint-Nazairian ships, such as Normandy in 1935, and participated in the universal exhibitions of 1900 and 1925. Unlike other local industries, it disappeared after World War II.

Ranked a historic monument in 2015, the hotel protects its facades, roofs, and interior decorations (vestibulum, dining room, lounges). These spaces bear witness to the architectural eclecticism of the 19th century and the artisanal know-how of Nantes, combining Henry II motifs, medallions of royal porcelain and stained glass. The building is also listed in the Local Planning Plan (PLU) as a Nantes heritage.

Interior architecture, designed to showcase the company's productions, includes woodwork, Greek-decorated ceilings and rinceaux, and ice cream with porcelain. The stained glass windows of Antoine Meuret, a Dutch artist, illuminate the staircase and highlight the luxury of the house. This set illustrates both entrepreneurial success and the artistic currents of the era, between neoclassicism and historical renaissance.

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