The Sleeping Beauty wakes  
 
Along with 14 other cities in France, from 1964 Troyes became a pilot city for the establishment of a safeguarded sector of 52 hectares under the “Malraux law”.

The majority of the houses in the city centre date from 1530, the construction period that followed the famous Great Fire of 1524, after which our beautiful revealed wood was systematically covered with a grey coating to protect it. Under Sully and Colbert, the houses were covered with stucco and corbels were no longer permitted.
 

 

 

 

After 4 centuries of greyness, Troyes is rediscovering the charm of colour, which constitutes a return to the tradition according to documents found in cardboard boxes and engravings of the time.

The best example is that of a large shop right in the centre of the city.

Amongst other good examples of restorations: one of the few remaining houses dating from XV c. in Troyes, “le Champ des Oiseaux” situated close to the Cathedral, in pink, pastel green, pale yellow: nos. 46, 48, 50 on Rue Kleber, and no. 32 (Maison de Dauphin) in tones of yellow, ochre, green and red with stylised decorations in vegetable paints, houses on Rue Emile Zola etc...
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


TOURELLE DE L'ORFEVRE (XVI C)
Rue Champeaux – rue Paillot de Montabert (in the pedestrian area of the Saint-Jean quarter)
 This house, built between 1578 and 1618 and typical of Troyes architecture, has a tower and is called the Tourelle de l’Orfèvre, or Goldsmiths Tower. It was built for François Roize, a goldsmith who was the husband of Nicole Boulanger.

It is supported by three caryatids with the faces of fauns and houses the staircase. From 1300, the goldsmith community established itself in Rue Paillot de Montabert, holding meetings there and celebrating the feast of Saint Eloi in the nearby Sainte Madeleine church. In 1594 there were 28 master goldsmiths.

 

MAISON DU BOULANGER (XVI C)
Rue Champeaux – rue Paillot de Montabert, opposite the (in the pedestrian area of the Saint-Jean quarter)
 On the ground floor was the baker’s shop, or boulangerie, hence the name… 


HOTEL JUVENAL DES URSINS (XVI C)
Rue Champeaux (pedestrian sector)
Jean Juvénal des Ursins (1360-1431) magistrate and provost of goods was the man who had the confidence of Queen Isabeau de Bavière

 

 

RUELLE DES CHATS
Entrance Rue Champeaux and Rue Charbonnet
So called because the houses are joined by their roofs, allowing the cats to go from one loft to another.

 

 

 

 

COUR DU MORTIER D'OR
Entrance Rue Champeaux and Rue des Quinze Vingt
Admire the doorway in wood featuring the Annunciation

 

 

 

HOTEL DE VILLE (City Hall) (XVII-XX C)
Place Alexandre Israël
In the Louis XIII style (1624/1672). Above the entrance porch, the statue of “Minerve casquée”, “Helmeted Minerva”, replaced that of Louis XIV that had been broken in 1793, and is accompanied by the motto of the revolution in its original form, very rarely found now, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité, ou la Mort”, “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death.

In the Council room is a marble medallion of Louis XIV by François Girardon (1690).

 

 

 

 

HOTEL DE MARISY (XVI C)
At the corner of Rue des Quinze-Vingts and Rue Charbonnet. Its corner corbel turret was used as an oratorium and also enabled all the surrounding streets to be observed!

Not to be missed: the wrought iron work on the windows worked by hammer practically without any welding (rare). Wine sellers’ boutiques were to be found in the windows.

 

 

 

LA MAISON DU MOÏSE (1553)
At the corner of Rue Charbonnet and Rue Paillot de Montabert. This Renaissance building in Champagne checkerboard style was the main post office centre from 1844 to 1927.

Its corner niche houses a statue of the prophet Moses, (Moïse), and the rim of the well (XVI C) comes from the courtyard of the old Palais de Justice, the law courts.

 

 

 

HOTEL D'AUTRUY (XVI C)
104, rue Général de Gaulle
 Jean d’Autruy was knighted by Henri IV in 1594. This is a typical residence in Champagne checkerboard style (built in brick and stone). 

Note: its shutters are situated on the inside, as they used to be at that time.

 

 

 

SYNAGOGUE - RACHI INSTITUTE
5, rue Brunneval
 The Synagogue is a reminder of the importance of the Jewish community in Troyes, present since the XI c. with the famous scholar RACHI, (a contraction of Rabbi Chlomo ben Isaac), known across the world and who is still considered to be the authority on the Bible.

His works are in the form of glossaries and explain the literal sense of the Old Testament and the Talmud. Opposite the Synagogue is the University Institute of Rachi, European Centre of Jewish Studies and Research. On the esplanade of the Champagne Theatre.

The Rachi Memorial, “monument du lumière”, “monument of light”, inaugurated in the presence of Elie Wiesel, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

 

 

 

L’HOTEL DU LION NOIR (XVI C)
111, rue Emile Zola
 Built at the end of the XVI c. by a wealthy shopkeeper, in conjunction with noble
Troyes families, on the same site as a building that had been destroyed by the fire of 26 February 1559 and established on what was then called Rue de l’Epicerie (Grocery street).

During its restoration, a wonderful, sculptured Renaissance facade was discovered under the stucco exterior.

 

 

 

 

HOTEL DES ANGOISELLES (XVI C)
Angle rue Saussier et Montée des Changes
It is said that this used to be called Hôtel Gandelus, from the name of an Italian family that came to Troyes for the Champagne, Fairs around 1256. 

Unusual: tower in chestnut shingles with a curious stone, brick, limestone and wood assembly.

 

 

 

 

 

HOTEL DE CHAPELAINES (XVI C)
55, rue Turenne
Built in 1536 by the Largentier family, dyers of sheets, it was then called the Grand Hotel de Clairvaux. 

One of the sons became Baron de Chapelaines in the service of Henri IV and gave it its new name. After Louis XIII in 1629, it went on to receive the king of Prussia, Frédéric Guillaume II, Tzar Alexander 1st and François 1st of Austria.

This last guest was delighted with his reception and presented a magnificent diamond to his hostess, with which he engraved a mysterious word, (Henrig ?) on one of the glass windows, still preserved today.

 

 

 

 

HOTEL DU PETIT LOUVRE (XVI – XIX C)
Corner of place du Préau, rue de la Montée Saint-Pierre, rue Linard Gontier
This old ecclesiastical house of the Saint-Pierre chapter was built on the remains of the Gallo-Roman defences. 

Up until the Revolution, the Palace of the Counts of Champagne was here but in the XIX c. the buildings were occupied by the stagecoaches that linked Troyes with Paris and by the mail service delivered by horses. 

Rumour has it that the coaches left from the Louvre in Paris, whence the name.

 

 

 

 

 

THE PREFECTURE (XVIII – XIX C)
Place de la Libération
On the site of the old abbey of Notre Dame aux Nonnains, the largest abbey for women of the diocese of Troyes in the Middle Ages, the present building, by the architect La Brière, was completed in 1781.

The clock replaces a bronze bust of Desiré Briden (1899), melted down during the Second World War.

The square was created in 1912, and decorated with a group in white marble by Suchetet “le rapt”, (a Triton making off with a nymph).

 

 

 

 

ABBEY ST-MARTIN-ES-AIRES (XVIIe)
Rue Saint Martin-ès-Aires – University site
Founded in XII C, “ès Aires” at that time meant “in the fields”. In the XVI c. one of the abbots was the famous Italian painter and architect Le Primatrice.

Rebuilt between 1656 and 1759 (Louis XIII style), it successively housed a cotton mill, an orphanage and a residence for the Sacré-Coeur Sisters.
The chapel (1890) in the “Baltard” style has cast beams and balustrade.