Hôtel de Chapelaines

Hôtel de Chapelaines in Troyes stands on rue Turenne as one of the finest Renaissance-era private mansions in the city's old quarter.

What was on this site before the current building?

Long before the mansion took shape, the plot on today's rue Turenne had a working-class history stretching back to the 13th century, when butchers, dyers and cloth merchants operated here. Ownership of the land was split between two religious houses, the Abbey of Clairvaux and the Abbey of Notre-Dame-des-Prés. Everything changed with the great fire that swept through Troyes in 1524, which destroyed the earlier structures on the site almost entirely.

Who rebuilt it, and why the name Chapelaines?

The reconstruction was carried out by Nicolas Largentier, a member of a prominent Troyes dyeing family whose wealth came from the cloth trade. Rather than name the new residence after himself, he chose to honor his own château at Chapelaines, in the Marne region — a naming choice that still identifies the building today. Construction of the main structure was largely finished by around 1536. Ownership later passed within the family: after the deaths of Nicolas Largentier (V) and his wife, the property went to their son, also named Nicolas Largentier, and his wife Marie Le Mairat, keeping the mansion in Largentier hands for another generation.

What makes the facade worth a second look?

Unlike the flat, symmetrical fronts typical of many townhouses, the facade here breaks from a straight line, creating an irregular, multi-planed rhythm that was fashionable among wealthy merchant families of the French Renaissance. The windows carry elaborate stone carving, and the roofline is finished with an open-worked balustrade topped by decorative fire-pot ornaments, a motif common in 16th-century French design that plays on themes of light and flame. Against Troyes's dense grid of half-timbered houses, this level of stonework detail makes the mansion easy to pick out.

Which historical figures are linked to the building?

Two episodes of royal and imperial history brush against the Hôtel de Chapelaines. In 1629, King Louis XIII stayed at the residence while passing through the Champagne region. Nearly two centuries later, in 1814, during the turmoil of the Napoleonic campaigns and the Allied advance through eastern France, the building hosted Austrian Emperor Francis II and Russian Tsar Alexander I. Having sheltered representatives of three separate European courts across almost two hundred years says a great deal about how the town regarded the property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the Hôtel de Chapelaines located? It stands at 55 rue Turenne, in the historic center of Troyes, in the Aube department of northeastern France.

Is this an actual hotel where visitors can book a room? No. Despite the word "hôtel" in its name, the French term here refers to a grand private townhouse (hôtel particulier), not a place to stay overnight. It is a heritage building, not an operating hotel.

Why is it called Chapelaines? The name comes from Nicolas Largentier, who rebuilt the mansion after the 1524 fire and named it after his own château in Chapelaines, a village in the Marne department.

Can visitors go inside? The building remains privately owned, so day-to-day access is limited to viewing the facade from the street. Its most valuable architectural elements have been protected under a partial historic monument listing since 1926.