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Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel Moreau, originally called Hotel Lakanal, is a Parisian mansion built in 1797 by architect François-Nicolas Trou dit Henry for Joseph Lakanal, member of the Council of Five Cents. This neo-classical Directory-style monument, located at 20 rue de la Chaussée-d It was the framework for preparing the coup d'état of the 18 Brumaire, a key episode of French political history.

In 1799 General Moreau (1763–13) acquired the hotel and gave it its present name. At the beginning of the 19th century, a wing called "Lequeu wing" was added (1801–1802), potentially designed by Jean-Jacques Lequeu, an architect known for his extravagant designs. In the mid-19th century, the ensemble was raised by two levels, changing its facades. The hotel has been home to the Supreme Council of the Judiciary since 2013.

A major discovery took place in 1977: 400 carved fragments of the facade of Notre-Dame de Paris, whose heads of the kings of Judah destroyed during the Revolution, were found in the courtyard. These works, hidden by Jean-Baptiste Lakanal (Joseph's brother), had escaped destruction in 1793. They are now on display at the Cluny Museum. The hotel, partially classified as a Historical Monument, retains remarkable interior decorations, such as the circular lounge.

The building illustrates the architectural transitions between the Management Board and the First Empire, with elements such as its garden-side rotunda and horizontal bands animating the facade. Its history combines artistic heritage, political intrigues and fortuitous preservation of medieval works, making it a symbol of the upheavals of the late eighteenth century.

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