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  2. Patrimoine
  3. Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
  4. Doubs
  5. 25000 Besançon

  6. Building

Building à Besançon dans le Doubs

Doubs

Building

    7 Rue Charles Nodier
    25000 Besançon
Immeuble
Immeuble
Crédit photo : JGS25 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1755
Construction of Nicole House
1881
Purchase by Brétillot Bank
1887-1890
Work extension by Gustave Vieille
1889
Decors signed JR Potier
1910
Closing of Brétillot Bank
1994
Registration for Historic Monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Facades and roofs of the whole; in number 9, building on street: aisle cochère, large staircase, vestibule, dining room, living room, room at the west corner of the first floor apartment with their decorations; number 9bis, building on street: stair turret, vestibule, two rooms on street on the ground floor with their decorations, two rooms on street on the floor with their decorations (cad. AO 38): by order of 20 April 1994

Key figures

Nicolas Nicole - Architect Designed the original house in 1755.
Maurice Brétillot - Banker and sponsor Owner, transformed the building in 1887-1890.
Gustave Vieille - Architect Realizes the banking extension (1887-1890).
JR Potier (dit Bien-Aimé) - Craft decorator Author of the false marbles (1889).

Origin and history

The building at 9 and 9bis rue Charles-Nodier in Besançon is the result of the merger of two buildings at different times and functions. The oldest part (n°9) was built in 1755 by architect Nicolas Nicole as a bourgeois house, characterized by a masonry staircase and a iron ramp. This building, raised from two floors in the 19th century, preserves original elements such as cochère driveway and richly decorated rooms on the first floor.

In 1881 the Brétillot bank acquired both plots and entrusted the architect Gustave Vieille (1887-1890) with the construction of an extension (n°9bis) to house its banking activities and a private residence. The new building, in eclectic style, includes a staircase turret and interior decorations signed by artisan JR Potier (1889). Together, organized around a garden and a paved courtyard, mixes offices, housing and commons. The date of 1888, engraved in a facade, marks this major transformation.

After the bank closed in 1910, the building changed hands several times: bought by an individual in 1933, and gradually acquired by the State between 1971 and 1999. It therefore hosts regional cultural services, including the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) in 1977. In 1994, its facades, roofs and interior decorations (scaling, living rooms, vestibule) were protected by an inscription to the Historic Monuments, highlighting its heritage interest.

The building illustrates the urban evolution of Besançon, where the 18th century aristocracy (represented by Nicole House) gives way to the industrial and banking bourgeoisie of the 19th century. Its complex plan, combining public and private spaces, reflects this dual residential and professional vocation. The preserved decorations, such as the false marbles of the vestibule or the ironwork, bear witness to the craftsmanship of the time.

Today, the building remains a symbol of the economic and architectural history of the city, while sheltering major cultural institutions. Its inscription in the title of the Historical Monuments guarantees the preservation of its most remarkable elements, while allowing a suitable contemporary use.

External links

Page Monumentum