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Origin and history

Hotel Saint-Pol is a house from the beginning of the sixteenth century, located in Romorantin-Lanthenay, in the Loir-et-Cher. Its on-street facade combines stone and brick, with geometric patterns formed of green enamelled brick diamond. These decorative elements, combined with ordinary brick, create a characteristic contrast of Renaissance architecture. The windows, once made of stone, have now disappeared, but the gables retain their crawling crowns adorned with carved hooks.

An architectural feature of the building is its protruding turret, located on the second floor. Originally, this turret housed a staircase whose departure, formerly on the ground floor, was demolished up to this level. According to a local tradition, François I was hit in the head by a flaming lion thrown from a window of this house on 6 January 1521. This building was built at the edge of the 15th and 16th centuries for François de Bourbon-Vendôme, seigneur of Saint-Pol, and then rebuilt at the end of the 19th century and around 1920.

Ranked a Historic Monument by order of 12 October 1912, the Hotel Saint-Pol is also known as the so-called house of Francis I. Its exact address, 16 rue du Milieu, is referenced in the Mérimée base. The monument, although partially modified over the centuries, remains a remarkable testimony of the art of building under the Renaissance, mixing medieval influences and architectural innovations of the era.

The location of the Hotel Saint-Pol is considered very satisfactory (note of 8/10), and its current condition allows to appreciate the details of its construction. The protected elements include the former structure of the hotel and its exterior decorations, reflecting the historic importance of this place in local and regional history.

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