Timeline

Origin and history

The building on 55 rue du Collège in Alençon is an example of small private hotels built in the 18th century in this city of Normandy. These sober but elegant buildings reflect the rise of a trading and enlightened bourgeoisie, characteristic of the provincial urban centres of the time. Their architecture combines discreet decorative elements, such as wrought iron balconies, with often richly wooded interiors, sometimes preserving their original furniture.

The façade of this building, made of cut stone on the ground floor, is surmounted by a mollusc floor separated by a mouled cornice. A notable feature is the presence of a statue of the 18th century Virgin, embedded in the corner of the building. This sculpture would come from the door of Lancrel, destroyed around 1750, and bears witness to the religious heritage integrated with civil architecture. The facades and roofs, as well as the statue, were protected by an inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1975.

Alençon, then in Lower Normandy, was a city where the local bourgeoisie, often from trade or crafts, invested in functional but distinguished urban residences. These private hotels, although modest compared to aristocratic homes, illustrated a form of social and cultural success. Their preservation today offers a glimpse of provincial life under the Old Regime, between tradition and modernity.

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