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Origin and history

The Rabot House, also known as Hotel Rabot, is a Renaissance mansion located at 17 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, in the Notre-Dame district of Grenoble. Built at the end of the 16th century after the demolition of a Roman gate by Lesdiguières, it is distinguished by its oriel (tower in protruding), inscribed in historical monuments in 1927. Today, it is mainly home to the Arthaud bookshop, accessible to the public.

The hotel was built in 1471 by the Rabot family, originally from Crest (Drôme), whose members were councillors or presidents of the Parliament of Dauphiné. Jean Rabot, President of Parliament at the hinge of the 15th and 16th centuries, is probably at the origin of his construction. The house welcomes three kings of France: Charles VIII, Louis XII and Francis I. In 1494, Charles VIII authorized the piercing of the Roman rampart to access the hotel garden, creating the future Passage of the Republic.

Architecturally, the Rabot house combines Renaissance elements (pillars, archatures in stone of molasses) and flamboyant Gothics (a niche surmounted by a dais). A 17th-century, golden staircase, visible from the street, completes its historic character. Acquired in 1776 by the Teisseire family, it remained their property until the end of the 19th century.

Located at the corner of rue Jean-Jacques-Rousseau and Grande Rue, the house is in the heart of the Grenoblois pedestrian centre, near Place Grenette and Notre Dame Cathedral. Served by lines A and B of the tramway (Hubert Dubedout station), it is freely accessible during the opening hours of the bookshop.

The iconic element of the site has been included in the inventory of historical monuments since 9 July 1927. This architectural detail, as well as the passage created under Charles VIII, testify to the historic importance of the place, both aristocratic residence and symbol of the urbanization of Grenoble under the Ancien Régime.

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