Hôtel de Loras (Bourg-en-Bresse)

Hôtel de Loras is an 18th-century townhouse on rue Bourgmayer in Bourg-en-Bresse, standing today as one of the finest surviving examples of Régence-era residential architecture in the Ain department's capital.

How old is this building, and what stood here before?

The plot itself has a longer story than the mansion built on it. Records trace the site back through a convent of the Cordeliers, then a row of ordinary houses along what is now rue Bourgmayer, and later a convent of the Ursulines. It was only in 1771 that the current residence rose in their place, commissioned by Chaussat de Sougey — and its exterior has changed remarkably little since.

What makes the facade worth a stop?

Walking through Bourg-en-Bresse's old town, visitors single out the Hôtel de Loras chiefly for its Régence facade: restrained window proportions, careful stonework, and joinery details that sum up the period's taste for elegance without excess ornament. Behind that front wall lies a formal staircase with a wrought-iron banister, plus an interior courtyard and garden. Together with the outbuildings, these elements were placed on France's historic monuments register by a decree dated 17 September 2009.

Who lived at the Hôtel de Loras?

Part of the building's reputation comes from the people who once worked or grew up there. For a time, one section served as a workshop for the sculptor Émilien Cabuchet, whose pieces can still be found across the region. The house also sheltered a few childhood years of Gustave Doré, among the best-known French illustrators of the 19th century, who lived there between the ages of eleven and fifteen. A third name tied to the address is Albert Lagrange, the Dominican friar who in 1890 founded the École biblique in Jerusalem, one of the earliest modern institutions devoted to biblical archaeology and scholarship.

Can visitors go inside?

The Hôtel de Loras remains a private residence, so there is no regular public access to the interior. Most tourists take it in from the street as part of a walk through Bourg-en-Bresse's historic center — the street-facing facade stays fully visible year-round and counts as one of the more rewarding stops on a self-guided architecture route through the old town. It's worth checking locally whether the building opens for France's annual Journées du Patrimoine (Heritage Days), since listed private properties occasionally join those events with limited openings.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Hôtel de Loras? At 13 rue Bourgmayer, in the historic center of Bourg-en-Bresse, in the Ain department.

When was it built? The residence was raised in 1771 for Chaussat de Sougey, on land previously occupied by convents of the Cordeliers and the Ursulines.

Is the Hôtel de Loras open to visitors? No — it is a private townhouse that can only be viewed from the outside. The interior, including the formal staircase and garden, is not open to the public on a regular basis.

Why does this building matter historically? It combines a high-quality Régence facade with links to two notable figures — sculptor Émilien Cabuchet and illustrator Gustave Doré — plus Albert Lagrange, the Dominican founder of Jerusalem's École biblique. The entire property was listed as a historic monument in 2009.