Hôtel Petit de Marivat

Hôtel Petit de Marivat stands on Place Jean Cornet in the old town of Besançon, an 18th-century mansion often cited as the city's earliest example of Parisian-style residential architecture.

Who built it, and why does it stand out?

The mansion went up in 1732, commissioned by François-Michel Petit de Marivat, a war commissioner (commissaire ordonnateur des guerres) who lived roughly between 1675 and 1764. The plot itself had a longer backstory: it had been bought by the Borrey sisters, aunts of Madame de Marivat, from the Monnier de Noironte family, who in turn had acquired it back in the 17th century from the Knights Hospitaller commandery of Temple that occupied the adjoining land. For the design, Petit de Marivat turned to a Parisian architect, Jean-François Blondel — an unusual choice at the time, since grand residences in Besançon were normally handled by local builders rather than architects brought in from the capital.

What does the building actually look like?

The floor plan is U-shaped, wrapped around a courtyard on one side and a garden on the other — a layout borrowed directly from Parisian townhouse design and, at the time, new to Besançon. The whole structure sits on a vaulted stone basement. Inside the right wing, a stone staircase with an iron balustrade rises toward the courtyard through three wide basket-arch openings, while the left wing holds a secondary, more utilitarian wooden staircase. Splitting the building this way — a grand stair for show, a plain one for everyday use — was a common trick in wealthy 18th-century households to separate formal and service circulation.

Why does this address matter historically?

On 1 May 1839, Count Hilaire de Chardonnet was born inside the Hôtel Petit de Marivat. Chardonnet went on to invent artificial silk — what we now call rayon — a discovery that later spawned an entire industrial sector across Europe. He remains one of the more widely recognized names to come out of Besançon. By the mid-20th century, the mansion had passed into the hands of the Sisters of Charity, illustrating how the building shifted over time from a private residence for a wartime administrator toward institutional use.

Since 8 July 1942, the Hôtel Petit de Marivat has been officially listed as a monument historique, France's protected-heritage designation, which shields its facades and historic interior features from alterations that would erase its original character.

How do visitors typically see it?

The mansion sits inside La Boucle, the loop of the Doubs river that encloses Besançon's historic core — a district recognized alongside Vauban's citadel on the UNESCO World Heritage list. A walk through this part of town brings you naturally past Place Jean Cornet, where the exterior of the building can be admired from the street. As it currently functions as a private or institutional building rather than a museum, interiors are not routinely open to the public; it's worth checking locally or at the tourist office before planning a visit around it. The surrounding streets hold a dense cluster of 17th- and 18th-century townhouses, making the area a rewarding stop for anyone interested in the architectural history of the Franche-Comté region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Hôtel Petit de Marivat a hotel you can book a room in? No. Despite the name, "hôtel particulier" is the French term for a grand private townhouse, not an accommodation — this is a historic residence, not a place to stay overnight.

Who designed the building? Parisian architect Jean-François Blondel, commissioned by war official François-Michel Petit de Marivat in 1732.

Why is this building known beyond architecture circles? Because Hilaire de Chardonnet, the inventor of artificial silk (rayon), was born there in 1839 — a milestone in 19th-century industrial innovation.

Can visitors go inside? The building has been a protected historic monument since 1942, but interior access depends on its current use; check locally before visiting since it is not set up as a museum.