The Loire Valley hotel history

The Grand Monarque, located in the center of the small market town of Azay-le-Rideau is made up of 3 remarkable buildings, which surround a garden-terrace

The coaching inn

Construction dating from the middle of the 18th century, it housed travelers, allowed them to take a meal and possibly change their horses.
Typically Touraine architecture in Tuffeau stone, limestone from the region. We recognize an assembly of rubble used at that time, more rustic than the devices used later.
The building retains some vestiges of the modernization of the coaching inn to introduce central heating. For example, on the ground floor in the living room opposite the reception, you will find a flat heater dating from 1905. The steam that circulated at the time once in the morning and once in the evening was used to heat the building.

The Directoire style mansion

Built around 1805, this building was until the middle of the 19th century a private mansion. He then joined the hotel around 1950.
Although little construction was carried out in this Directoire style because of the political instability of the time and its short period, you will recognize a return to rectilinear forms.
The construction is also carried out here in Tuffeau.

The second Empire style mansion

Built at the end of the Second Empire, around 1870, this house will surprise you with its decorated facade on the rue Nationale. Indeed, rather than decorating and sculpting the most imposing facade on the Place de l’Europe, the owners decided to highlight the more confidential western facade, but giving, for the pageantry, on the main street.
Here too the house is built in Tuffeau!