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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtellerie du Dauphin, located in Laon in the Hauts-de-France, is an architectural complex dating from the 13th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This monument, now transformed into a collective dwelling, consists of several buildings organised around a paved courtyard. The facades and roofs, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1981, combine elements of cut stone, red brick and woodpan, reflecting the stylistic evolutions of each era. A limestone staircase turret and a 17th century wooden gallery testify to its complex history.

The courtyard, accessible by 7–13 rue du Change and 22 rue Sérurier, preserves traces of its past use: a water stone, a wrought iron sign (now at the Laon Museum), and characteristic bays of the second half of the 15th century. The east wing, in stone and limestone, contrasts with the south wing, partly in wood, restored in the 20th century. Although the houses closing the courtyard to the north and west did not always belong to the hotel, the ensemble illustrates the medieval and modern civil architecture of the region.

Attested in 1618, the hotel was a welcoming place for travellers, a central role in a city like Laon, a commercial and religious crossroads around its cathedral. The staircase turret and courtyard bays date from the second half of the 15th century, while the wooden gallery was added after 1650. The restorations of the last quarter of the twentieth century preserved this heritage, while adapting the places to contemporary use. The 1981 protection covers facades, roofs and remarkable elements, emphasizing its heritage importance.

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