The Rolin and Lacomme hotels
The hotel Rolin is built on the site of the birthplace of Nicolas Rolin (1376-1462). His exceptional career as chancellor of the Dukes of Burgundy earned him considerable wealth, which is reflected by his many properties and this luxurious mansion.
During the years 1440-1450, he bought the neighboring property to extend the family home towards the rampart of the upper town. He created a hotel distributed around two courtyards. From the 16th century, these two sections of the hotel (the Hotel Lacomme to the South, the Hotel Rolin to the North) experienced a distinct fate which explains why they have different aspects.
View of the Medieval tower and the Rolin museum, 1935
Interior courtyard of the Rolin museum, © Ville d’Autun
Only the northern part of the building (the Hotel Rolin) retains its medieval appearance today. The two wings are connected by an outer tower housing a spiral staircase which services the different floors. Its attic has dormer windows, curved windows, mullions and braces which are characteristic of the architecture of this period. The southern part (the Hotel Lacomme) was redesigned in the 19th century, and has thus lost its original appearance.
The Société Eduenne acquired the Hôtel Rolin after having obtained its classification as a historical monument in 1877. The building and its collections were donated to the city of Autun in 1954. The city then bought the Hotel Lacomme and united the two halves of the original hotel to house the current museum.