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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel Saint-Livier, located 1 rue des Trinitaires in Metz, is the oldest civil building in the city, combining the functions of defensive castle and luxurious residence. Built in the 12th century, it occupies according to tradition the presumed location of the home of Saint Livier. Its architecture reflects the Italian influence of Lombard bankers, visible from the 13th century: a high tower-dungeon, a low roof in retreat, and a creneled screen wall serving as a round path. The façade preserves 13th and 16th century openings, while a plan of 1575 reveals that it originally had two crenellated towers, only one of which remains today.

The prosperity of Metz in the 13th and 14th centuries, linked to its status as an oligarchic republic and its commercial influence, favours the building of many private hotels. The Messina bourgeoisie, enriched by fairs and a currency accepted throughout Europe, erected sumptuous homes. The Hotel Saint-Livier, then called "Grand Maison Saint-Livier", embodies this opulence. He welcomed Charles Quint in 1540, before being renamed Hotel Saint-Blaise until 1867. Its interior decoration includes murals from the late 16th or early 17th century, including an allegory of Faith and Charity, rare testimonies of the Messin secular art of that time.

Saved by the 19th-century demolitions, the building houses the music conservatory in 1898, and in 2004 became the headquarters of the Lorraine Regional Fund for Contemporary Art after a restoration in the 1980s. Ranked a historic monument since 1939 for its facades, roofs, 16th century vestibule and murals, it illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Metz, from medieval times to the Renaissance. Its fence wall, door and remains of a 16th century gallery complete the protected elements, while a second inscription in 2003 specifically concerns ground floor paintings.

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