And this historical Orléans and a wonderful mansion. You know who gave us the curiosity to be here and it was nice. Later years, met collegue from here and gave us the impetus to come back. It is a nice central city of my belle France, full of history we love. Hope you enjoy this update on the Hôtel Groslot of Orléans!
So let me tell you a bit about Orléans, and to show a bit more than popular Paris… In my road warrior trips with the family in Europe we have been to a lot of places and some we missed. The wonderful cold weather calls for something more warm down in central France. Let me tell you a bit more about the Hôtel Groslot in the historical city of Orléans, department 45 of the Loiret in the region of Centre-Val de Loire. Sit back and enjoy the story, hoping you like it as we.
The Hôtel Groslot is a 16C ( 1550-1555) mansion built for Jacques Groslot, bailiff of Orléans. The house, also called the Great House of the Steps, House of the Governor, or the Stewardship was successively a mansion and then the city/town Hall of Orléans and today welcomes the celebration of the weddings. Built under the impulse of the Groslot family, it welcomed the French Kings François II ,Henri III , Henri IV, and Charles IX and the Regent Catherine de Medici. The hotel is built near the Cathedral of St. Croix, in the Place de l’Etape, in the city center of Orléans. It is located near the B line of the Orléans tramway network.
A bit of history I like
The Groslot Hotel is built in the Renaissance of Germain Rebours and Anne Brachet ,the owners of an agrarian land on the Place de l’Etape in the middle of the 15C. They planned to built a particular hotel but give it up before the end of this project to Jacques Groslot, Bailiff of Orléans, in 1545. Jacques Groslot dies before the completion of the work in 1552. His widow and two sons, Jérôme and Henri, inherited the building and attended the end of its construction between 1553 and 1558.
On 18 October 1560, King Francis II imposed himself and settled with his court in the hotel to mark his opposition to Jérôme Groslot, a fervent supporter of the Protestant Reformation. François II died at Hôtel Groslot on 5 December 1560. Charles IX succeeds François II in the aftermath of the general states of 1560 which stand in front of the hotel in a large hall on occasion. As the king was 10 years old, the regency was entrusted to his mother Catherine de Médici. After a stay of almost five months, the court leaves Orléans and the Hôtel Groslot on February 12, 1561.
Jérôme Groslot resumes possession of the hotel after the departure of the court to support the actions of the Protestants and Groslot, Louis I of Bourbon-Condé returns to Orléans in 1562 and resides in the grand house of the Etape or stage (Groslot) which becomes the headquarters of Protestants. Charles IX returned to Orléans to appease the troubles arising from the massacre of Saint Bartholomew and stayed in the great House of the Stage (Groslot). The hotel is then purchased by the town in 1738 after several owners.
A bit on the constrution style of it
This building has a characteristic red brick facade arranged in rhombuses. It consists of a central building with two Renaissance-style wings and a double-volley staircase. The statue of Joan of Arc made by Princess Marie d’Orléans placed in front of its porch dates from the mid-19C. It still bears the traces of bullets received during the liberation of Orléans in August 1944. The Groslot Hotel is composed of four main halls: the Salon d’Honneur, the Old City Council Hall, the Mayor’s old office and the wedding hall. The Gothic troubadour style interior decoration is made between 1850 and 1854 as furnishings, there are many souvenirs of Joan of Arc, paintings, Aubusson tapestries, wooden chests and other period furniture. The gardens are accessible from the Rue d’Escures where there is a wall, consisting of the remains of the Chapel Saint-Jacques which stood up at the rue des Hôtelleries. The French writer Honoré de Balzac describes the Hôtel Groslot in one of his philosophical studies of the human comedy. A painting by the French painter Pierre Dupuis depicts the death of Francis II in a room of the Groslot Hotel.
The front porch and the central façade are restored between 1850 and 1852; The remainder of the work is carried out between 1852 and 1855. The new city/town hall is inaugurated on May 8, 1855. The administrative services of the city of Orléans leave the Hôtel Groslot in 1981 to be transferred to the new municipal center located opposite the hotel Groslot in 1, place de l’Etape.
Some webpages to help you plan your trip here are
The Orléans tourist office on the Hôtel Groslot: https://www.orleans-metropole.fr/histoire-patrimoine/lieux-celebres/hotel-groslot#googtrans(fr|en
The Greater Orléans tourist board on the Hôtel Groslot: https://www.tourisme-orleansmetropole.com/hotel-groslot/orleans/pcucen0450100087
The Loiret dept 45 tourist office on the Hôtel Groslot: https://www.tourismeloiret.com/en/diffusio/visits/hotel-groslot-orleans_TFOPCUCEN0450100087
The Loire Valley tourist office (Centre Val de Loire region) on the Hôtel Groslot: https://www.loirevalley-france.co.uk/organise-your-stay/visits/other-monuments-and-heritage/hotel-groslot
This is a nice city of Orléans, full of history and nice walks, all around the Hotel Groslot is worth the walk and marvel of the architecture and history all around you in the city of Joan of Arc made famous. See my other posts on Orléans in my blog.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 
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