The architecture and interiors of the Hôtel Gallice form a prestigious private residence, testament to Épernay's commercial dynamism in the late 19th century. The building is now owned by the De Venoge Champagne House.
Built in 1898-1899 by architect Charles Blondel (winner of the 1896 Prix de Rome for architecture), the Hôtel Gallice endeavours to showcase its sponsors, Marcel Gallice (1854-1930), at that time president of the Perrier-Jouët Champagne House, and his wife. Entirely built from cut stone, something of a rarity on Avenue de Champagne, the residence combines contemporary classicism, comfort and functionality.
The luxurious interiors are in fin-de-siècle style, with wood the dominant feature. The dining room boasts an impressive solid oak fireplace sculpted from a design by Charles Blondel. In the aftermath of World War I, Marcel Gallice commissioned glass artist Jacques Grüber to create a stained glass window to illuminate the imposing wooden staircase. This window, which commemorates the suffering endured by the town of Épernay during the Great War, has historic monument status.
The splendour of the large English-style landscaped garden, complete with an artificial river, can be admired from the dining room.
In the late 1980s, the last descendent of the family transferred ownership of the property to the Champagne-Ardenne Region, which made it the headquarters of its culture department. Since 2014, the Hôtel Gallice has been the headquarters of the De Venoge Champagne House, whose basement cellar houses a priceless collection of 30,000 bottles of vintage wines.
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Hôtel Gallice (De Venoge Champagne House), 33 avenue de Champagne – 51200 Épernay
Tel.: +33 3 26 53 34 34
https://champagnedevenoge.com/
