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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel Rue Nationale, located in Montreuil-Bellay in Maine-et-Loire, is a monument built between the second half of the 16th century and the 19th century. The northeastern part, the oldest, dates from the Renaissance (2nd half of the 16th century), while the stairway and west wing of the house were added in the mid 17th century. The street façade, on the other hand, was radically redesigned in the 19th century, reflecting the stylistic and functional evolutions of the period. These successive changes illustrate the adaptation of the building to the changing needs of its occupants and the city.

Between 1857 and 1862, the building housed the local gendarmerie, marking its anchor in the administrative life of Montreuil-Bellay. From 1862 he was converted into a communal school, first for boys until 1885, then for girls until 1968. This long educational period, covering more than a century, bears witness to its central role in public education and the socialization of the Montreuilese generations. Today, the building has been converted into a traveller's hotel and has preserved protected elements since 1970, such as its facades, roofs and interior staircase, which are listed in the Inventory of Historic Monuments.

The history of this hotel reflects the urban and social changes of Montreuil-Bellay, moving from an aristocratic residential function to public uses (security, education), before returning to a vocation of reception with its current status. Its architecture, marked by additions and modernizations, offers a panorama of the constructive techniques of the 16th to 19th centuries. The accuracy of its location (75 Rue Nationale) and its inscription to the heritage in 1970 underline its historical and cultural importance for the region Pays de la Loire.

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