Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house of the Échevin de Cabre, also known as the Cabre hotel, is the oldest existing house in Marseille. Located at the corner of the rue de la Bonneterie and the Grand-Rue in the 2nd arrondissement, it is built around 1535 on the order of Louis de Cabre, Second Consul of Marseille in 1544. Its architecture combines Gothic and Renaissance elements, with effigies of the owner and his wife on the facade, as well as a statue of Saint James with reference to Jacques de Cabre, the father of Louis.

During the French Revolution, the lily-flowered coat of arms adorning the façade were destroyed. In 1943, during the Marseille raid, the Germans destroyed most of the streets around the Old Port, but preserved some historic buildings, including the Cabre hotel. In 1954, during the reconstruction of the neighborhood, the house was moved 15 meters and turned 90 degrees to align with the Grand-Rue.

The house is classified as historical monuments for its facades by order of 2 May 1941, while the rest of the hotel has been registered since 2 November 1926. In 2025, a complete restoration of the building was completed, and the three apartments it housed were sold. The house bears witness to the history of Marseille, from its construction in the 16th century to its modern preservation.

The building is linked to two key characters of the Cabre family: Louis de Cabre (b. c. 1485), Second Consul in 1544, and his grandson, also named Louis de Cabre (b. 1557), who was First Consul of Marseilles in 1602. These figures illustrate the political importance of this family in local history.

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