Prefecture hotel of Seine-Maritime, Historical private mansion and prefecture in Rouen, France.
The Prefecture Hotel is an extensive building with multiple floors and 17th-century architecture, with its main facade facing Boulevard des Belges in central Rouen. The structure contains numerous rooms and courtyard areas that are typical of French construction from that period.
The building was originally constructed in 1580 as Hotel-Dieu during a plague outbreak and served as a hospital. It was transformed into the headquarters of the Seine-Maritime Prefecture in 1995 after extensive renovations.
The reception rooms display decorative elements from the 17th and 18th centuries that reflect the artistic styles of those periods. You can see the craftsmanship in the walls and ceilings that were typical of the era.
The building is an administrative center, so access to certain areas is limited, and only the public entrance areas are normally accessible to visitors. You should check ahead whether public tours or exhibitions are available, as availability varies seasonally.
The building combines departmental and regional prefecture functions under one roof, concentrating local administration at different levels in a single location. This dual function is relatively uncommon and makes the building an important hub of the regional administrative structure.
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