Hôtel des Roches Noires, Second Empire hotel monument in Trouville-sur-Mer, France.
Hôtel des Roches Noires is a brick building in Second Empire style featuring two parallel wings with stone-framed facades and ornate stucco columns. Its numerous windows face the Normandy coast, giving the seaside resort a distinctive architectural presence.
The hotel was built in 1866 by architect Alphonse-Nicolas Crépinet as a fashionable seaside establishment for the growing leisure class. The introduction of electric lighting in 1904 marked its embrace of modern conveniences during the Belle-Époque period.
The hotel became a gathering place for artists and writers who appreciated its coastal location and refined surroundings. Its name remains connected to the Belle-Époque charm that drew wealthy Parisians to this seaside resort.
The building now houses private apartments but its protected facades remain visible from the street, forming an important part of the town's character. Visitors can freely admire the exterior architecture and ornamental details from public spaces without need for special access.
Painter Claude Monet captured the hotel on canvas in 1870, documenting its role during the early development of French landscape painting. This artwork shows how the place inspired artistic vision in that era.
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