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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel du Bosc is a private hotel located in Albi, Tarn department, Occitanie region. Built from the 12th century, it is built on ancient fortifications of the city, two brick towers of which remain. These ramparts, potentially dating from the 12th–13th centuries or the 14th century (after the Albigois War), include a round road and a staircase leading to a garden. The house body, connected to a tower by a bridge, was gradually renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries, with a monumental stairwell added to the 18th century.

The house is famous for being the birthplace of the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1864. The building, which combines medieval elements and subsequent modifications, was significantly restored at the beginning of the 20th century to give it its present appearance. It was listed as a historical monument on 17 May 1974 for its facades, roofs and remains of the ramparts. Today, the hotel belongs to a private company and preserves old brick rooms as well as architectural traces of its different construction periods.

The ramparts associated with the hotel, including the Puech-Amadenc Tower (or Tour du Pas Trangnat), illustrate Albi's defensive history, marked by conflicts like the Hundred Years War. The site, both aristocratic residence and witness to urban transformations, reflects the architectural and social evolution of the city, from medieval fortifications to classical developments. The alley along the city side ramparts and the bridge linking the house to the tower underline the integration of the building into the historical fabric of Albige.

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