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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Rochefort Hotel, located in Moulins in the Allier department, is an emblematic building whose construction spanned between the 17th and 19th centuries. It is distinguished by its two contrasting facades: the south facade, rectilinear and decorated with seven openings per floor, features arched window doors in full hanger and wrought iron balconies. The north façade, on the other hand, overlooks a courtyard closed by a fence wall in red and black bricks, decorated with various diamond motifs. These architectural elements reflect a stylistic duality between classicism and geometric ornaments.

The hotel was built in the second half of the 18th century for Antoine Grimaud, lieutenant general of the king on the senate floor of Bourbonnais, probably under the direction of architect Joseph Evezard. In 1835, he was bought at auction by Frédéric de Chabannes La Palice, Marquis de Curton, and then passed on to his daughter Octavie, wife of Baron Émile de Rochefort, whose present name he derives. Sold in 1951 by Countess Louis de Diesbach, granddaughter of the owners, it became the property of the Allier department and now houses the local economic expansion committee. Ranked a historic monument in 1965, it bears witness to the aristocratic and administrative history of the region.

The facades and roofs of the hotel, protected by decree of 6 February 1965, illustrate a preserved architectural heritage. Their eclectic style, combining polychrome bricks and stone elements, reflects aesthetic changes between the 17th and 19th centuries. The building, originally a private residence, also embodies the social and economic transformations of Moulins, a city marked by its past as the capital of Bourbonnais.

The exact address of the hotel, 12 rue Anatole-France and rue des Potiers, places the monument in the heart of the historic centre of Moulins. Its state of conservation and its location make it a point of interest for the study of urban planning and civil architecture of the Allier. Although private property, its inscription in historical monuments guarantees its sustainability and heritage value.

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