The Maison des Conférences in Nérac

Nestled in the heart of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, the Maison des Conférences is situated at 10, 12 place Saint-Nicolas, between rue de l'École and rue des Conférences, in the French department of Lot-et-Garonne. The site has a long architectural history, with a first hotel constructed in the first half of the 16th century on the site of medieval dwellings. This original structure preserved the walls of those medieval buildings and was composed of a main body and a return wing with three superimposed galleries.

In 1579, Catherine de Medici traveled to Nérac to hold conferences between Catholics and Protestants to restore peace and end the wars of religion. While tradition designates this hotel as the place where these conferences occurred, it is probable that the bulk of the discussions took place in the château de Nérac. The conference began on 5 February and concluded on 25 February. On 28 February, Catherine de Medici and Henri III of Navarre signed 27 articles of an agreement, which granted 14 new places of safety to Protestants for six months. These articles were subsequently signed by the King of France, Henri III, on 14 March.

The building underwent various modifications over the centuries, including the addition of a pavilion for a staircase in the late 16th or early 17th century and a building in the rear courtyard during the 17th century. By the third quarter of the 18th century, three houses were built on the land facing place Saint-Nicolas. The Maison des Conférences became municipal property in 1981 following a donation. Today, its facades on the courtyard, the roof, and the conference hall are listed as historical monuments, while the buildings and floors were registered as historical monuments in 1996.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons