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Origin and history

The Chamarier House, also known as the d'Estaing Hotel, is located at 37 rue Saint-Jean in the 5th arrondissement of Lyon. It occupies a strategic location, at the corner of Rue de la Bombarde, in the heart of the medieval district. Its name comes from the Latin camerarus, designating the intendant of finances of the bishop of St John's Cathedral, responsible for collecting taxes at fairs from the 15th century. The list of chamariers, covering the period from 1070 to 1779, attests to the historical importance of this function.

The origins of the building date back to the 13th century, with a first construction backed by the episcopal wall erected under the episcopate of Guichard de Pontigny (1165-1180). This initial house, built on ancient and medieval foundations, was remodeled in the 14th and 15th centuries before being rebuilt in the 16th century by François d'Estaing, a chamarier from 1496. The architecture thus blends medieval remains with Renaissance elements, such as the staircase with screws or the Italian loggia, reflecting the stylistic evolutions of the era.

In the 17th century, the house welcomed illustrious personalities, including the Marquise de Sévigné, who stayed there in 1672 and 1673, invited by Charles de Châteauneuf de Rochebonne, chamarier and brother-in-law of his daughter. The building, symbol of Lyon's financial and religious power, declined in the 19th century with its transformation into unhealthy housing. Saved in 1907 by a bequest to the city of Lyon, it was classified as a historical monument in 1943 and restored thanks to the action of the Renaissance association of Old Lyon and the deputy mayor Denis Trouxe.

Between 1980 and 2015, the house remained unoccupied despite restoration in 2005, due to the high cost of interior work. A project carried out from 2016 onwards, involving real estate developers, architects of historic monuments such as Didier Repellin, and institutions such as the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, allows its rehabilitation. It now houses nine housing units, a Fab lab dedicated to heritage, and two shops on the ground floor. The city of Lyon, owner of the premises, receives an annual rent of € 12,000.

The architecture of the Chamarier House is distinguished by remarkable elements, such as the medieval staircase, the work room of François d'Estaing, a loggia decorated with 16th century paintings, and a Renaissance well attributed to Philibert Delorme. These characteristics make it a rare example of a Renaissance civil house, bearing witness to the opulence of the Lyon elites of the time. Two public spaces are now accessible: a workshop equipped with 3D printers to model Lyon monuments, and a hall presenting the historical evolution of the building via a model and an interactive tablet.

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