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Origin and history

The Rollet d'Avaux Hotel is a private hotel built in 1760 in Riom, Puy-de-Dôme, at the initiative of Jacques-Amable-Gilbert Rollet d'Avaux, first president of the Riom Presidial. Built on the site of an old family-run hotel in ruins, it illustrates 18th-century aristocratic architecture, combining Volvic's stone and clear coatings. Its monumental staircase, adorned with Tuscan columns, and its 19th century interior features, partially preserved, bear witness to its past prestige.

During the Revolution, Jacques Rollet d'Avaux and his wife Adrienne Françoise de Villaines were arrested in 1794 after the discovery of compromising letters with the emigré François de Bonal. Sentenced by the Revolutionary Tribunal, they were executed the same day in Paris. Their history reflects the political upheavals of the time, marked by terror and confiscation of aristocratic property. The hotel, sold as a national good, then changed hands several times.

Ranked a historic monument in 2012, the hotel stands out for its U-shaped layout around a court of honour and its rock garden. It is one of the few riomois examples of 18th-century private hotels, alongside Dufraisse hotels and the Jouhannel in Jenzat. Its architecture, inspired by the Louis XIII style, and its interior decorations make it a remarkable testimony to the local heritage.

Acquired in 1818 by Baron François-Alexandre de Forget, son-in-law of the Count of Lavalette (former general manager of the Post Office), the hotel passed in 1838 to Pierre Sablon du Corail, son of a noble guillotine in 1793. These successions reflect post-revolutionary social recompositions and the rise of new elites under the Restoration and monarchy of July.

The integral protection of the building in 2012, including decorations and garden, underscores its heritage value. Historical sources, such as the works of Henri d'Ideville (1877) or the studies of Benedict Renaud (2007), document his role in the urban history of Riom, between aristocratic fascists and revolutionary torments.

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