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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The hotel Meursault, or hotel de la Rochepot, is an emblematic monument of Beaune, built in the 16th century. Its architecture reflects a dual function: bourgeois residence and commercial space, as evidenced by the two arcades on the ground floor, originally intended for shops. A gallery on three levels, adorned with high relief busts and dogives vault, distributes the two housing bodies connected by a staircase turret. The date of 1522, engraved on the gallery, marks a reshaping phase, while elements of the seventeenth century, such as the bays of the second court, reveal further transformations. The façade on Place Monge, pierced by wide openings, innovates by its balance between emptiness and fullness, although its decorative vocabulary is still inspired by late Gothic.

The construction of the hotel was often wrongly attributed to Jean Pétral in 1522, due to the date on the gallery. Yet archives mention Jacques Pétral as owner as early as 1490, suggesting an older origin, perhaps in the last quarter of the 15th century. The links between Jacques and Jean Pétral remain unknown. Acquired in 1592 by Pierre de Massol, the building seems to be unfinished or in ruins, before being raised or finished in the early seventeenth century. This monument thus illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Beaune, where a wealthy bourgeois family, active in trade, was able to combine habitat and economic activity without derogation from the codes of its status.

The layout of the premises, with a first courtyard leading to a second house and a second courtyard opening onto the street of the Child (former rue Saint-Étienne), reveals a spatial organization typical of the mansions of the period. Comparisons with other Beaunois buildings, such as the hotel at 29 rue Maufoux or the house next to 11 Place Monge, highlight the influence of local architectural models. The absence of aristocratic decor confirms its membership of the merchant bourgeoisie, while the low archatures and dogid vaults recall the stylistic transitions between the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

As a historic monument since 1889, the hotel Meursault bears witness to the heritage importance of Beaune, a city marked by its commercial and winemaking past. Its history, between renovations and changes of owners, reflects the urban and economic dynamics of Burgundy at the hinge of the 15th and 17th centuries. Today located in Monge Square, its initial location on a shopping street leading to the central market recalls its role in the daily life of the city, between private space and place of exchange.

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