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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house Vaucanson, also known as Hotel d'Ornacieux, is a 17th century building located at 8 rue Chenoise, in the historic centre of Grenoble. Built by the family of La Croix de Chevrières, it was acquired in 1632 by Claudine de Chissé, widow of a king's adviser. His son, John III of La Croix, Marquis d'Ornacieux and President of the Parliament of the Dauphiné, made him a mansion typical of Grenobly aristocratic architecture, with a courtyard, loggias and a monumental staircase.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the house was briefly inhabited by Jacques Vaucanson, engineer and inventor of automatics, who lived there in 1717 after his father's death. Although a commemorative plaque misrepresented it as its place of birth, it remains associated with its name. The hotel, located near Parliament and Notre Dame Cathedral, reflects the influence of the parliamentary and ecclesiastical elites of the time.

Ranked a historic monument in 1983 for its Louis XIII portal and baluster staircase, the building underwent several renovations, notably in 2020. After sheltering popular families and shops, it now hosts cultural associations and events such as the Voix aux Windows festival. Its architecture, combining Italian and Dauphinian influences, makes it a rare testimony of the Grenobles urban planning of the 17th and 18th centuries.

The house is also linked to historical figures such as the Bourcet de La Saigne, military engineers, or the Baratier, king's officers. Its garden, once crossed by Verderet Creek, and its stables recall a lively social life, between domesticity and receptions. Despite transformations in the 19th century, it retains remarkable elements such as an archaic Virgin in niche and galleries in basket handle.

During the Revolution, Chenoise Street was renamed Vaucanson Street, and the hotel changed hands, passing to the Heurard of Fontgalland, family of local notables. In the 19th century, part of the building was converted into an inn, while rumours evoked a romance of the young Stendhal in his walls. Today, its restored courtyard and facades offer a prestigious setting for heritage events.

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