Le Lion d’Or 1774

Private Renaissance style mansion.

Built in 1540 by Jean Gitton, Lord of Montgiron and a friend of King Francis I, this Renaissance style mansion was the residence of the town’s first aldermen and master drapers. In 1774, just before the French Revolution, the building was sold by Canon Nicolas Gitton to the innkeeper Sir Pierre Boiffard.

In the 19th century, three generations of butlers from the same family – Augustin, François, and Achille Fouque Lacroix – transformed the lodge into a “Grand Hotel” with “gas on all floors”, mirrors in the dining room, a fountain in the inner courtyard, and an exclusive clientèle who was welcomed “by foot, carriage, or horseback.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, the hotel was the place to enjoy all the best vintages, as is illustrated by the wine cellar’s inventory from 1918: Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Lafite, Mouton-Rotschild, Cos d’Estournel, Yquem 1893, Pommard, Hospices de Beaune, Gevrey Chambertin, Vouvray 1900, Montbazillac, and some of the most famous champagnes…

In 1961, Colette & Alain Barrat took over at the helm of the operation, thereby upholding the location’s two-century-old hospitality tradition. They were joined in 1980 by their daughter Marie-Christine and son-in-law, Chef Didier Clément. In 2021, they will celebrate 60 years leading the family business!

Since April 2026 the property belong to the Nao collection group, it is the second Relais & Chateaux of the group