Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building on 55 rue du Collège in Alençon, dating from the 18th century, is a representative example of small private hotels built for the commercial bourgeoisie of the city. Its sober architecture, with facades made of cut stone on the ground floor and in rubble on the floor, reflects the provincial style of the era. A statue of the 18th century Virgin, from the Lancrel Gate destroyed around 1750, is embedded in the corner of the building.

The building preserves interior decorative elements such as woodwork, typical of bourgeois residences illuminated by this period. The outdoor balconies and the mouled cornice underline its functional and aesthetic character. It has been a historical monument since 11 April 1975 and illustrates the civil architectural heritage of Alençon.

The official protection concerns the facades, roofs and statue of the Virgin of Lancrel, reflecting the importance attached to the preservation of this type of building. The precise location, at the corner of the streets of the College and Marcel-Palmier, makes it a landmark in the historic city centre.

The 18th century Alençonese society was marked by a trading and enlightened bourgeoisie, as evidenced by these simple but neat constructions. These buildings served as both a place of residence and a place of professional activity, reflecting a social organization where commerce played a central role. The destruction of the Lancrel Gate around 1750, from which the statue of the Virgin came, suggests urban transformations at that time.

Registration as a historical monument in 1975 highlights the heritage value of this building, representative of a time when Alençon, then in Lower Normandy, developed as a regional economic and cultural centre. The preservation of woodwork and interior furniture offers an overview of the daily life of its occupants, between tradition and modernity.

Available sources, such as the Merimée and Monumentum base, confirm its status as a protected monument and its precise location, while emphasizing its role in the urban landscape of Alençon. The Creative Commons license for associated photos facilitates the dissemination of its image, contributing to its local and tourist reputation.

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