Hôtel de Ville
(Town hall)

 


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It was in 1594 that the city of Troyes acquired the Mesgrigny Hotel, a large building from the 15th century, to build in its place "the common house". Its construction was spread out over several decades; started in 1624, from drawings by the Parisian architect Louis Noble, it was interrupted to start again in 1655, under the direction of the architect Cottard.
In front of the hotel stood the Beautiful Cross, made of stone and bronze, which dated from the time of the Counts. In a very bad state in 1495, it was replaced by a golden bronze one, and contained holy relics inside. Damaged by a violent storm in 1585, it was restored then melted in 1792 for the revolutionary armies.

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Entrée du Roi Henri IV à Troyes, détail d'un vitrail de Linard Gonthier, 1621. (c) BMVR de Troyes - Cliché Pascal Jacquinot

 

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The town Hall at the start of the century.

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Fireplace in the  town Hall's "grande salle".

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Cour de la Rose, now rue Aristide Briand

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The revolution marked the building by replacing the sculpture of Louis 14th by a Minerve and the very "citoyenne" plate on which we can read: "Indivisible unity of the Republic, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity or Death"...


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The town Hall and the Consular House
(Ch. Fichot, in "Troyes et ses environs", A. Aufauvre, 1860)

 

The great "boucheries" were located on rue Urbain IV, today the square opposite the Hotel de Ville, Place Foch.

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