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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Diamantée House, also known as the former hotel of Saboulin Bollena, is an emblematic building in Marseille located behind the town hall, in the city hall district. It owes its name to its facade covered with stones cut in diamond tips (prism bark), a rare architectural style. Classified as a historic monument since November 10, 1925, it is one of the oldest preserved houses in the city, with the Hotel de Cabre. Its construction, at the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century, is on the site of the gardens of the Palace of Provence, sponsored by wealthy families of Spanish and Italian origin.

In the 17th century, the house houses influential families of Marseilles, such as Pierre Sebolin de Bollena (2nd bishop in 1683) and his nephew François de Saboulin Bollena (1st bishop in 1702), as well as the Castellane Majaster. At the end of the 19th century, it became a dwelling for port workers and Italian immigrants. The oral tradition is mistakenly associated with the palace of King René, Count of Provence. Saved from the ruin in 1914 by the Art et Charité association, it was then bequeathed to the Committee of Old Marseille, which donated it to the city in 1962 with its collections.

From 1967 to 2009, the Maison Diamantée hosts the Musée du Vieux Marseille, before its collections are transferred to the Musée d'histoire de Marseille. In 2013, it served as a seat for the organising association of Marseille-Provence, the European capital of culture. After this event, the city made administrative use of it, causing tensions with the Comité du Vieux Marseille. In 2019, the latter undertook a contentious process to obtain the retrocession of the monument, arguing that its cultural vocation was no longer respected.

Architecturally, the house is distinguished by its three-storey facade and central staircase, supported by doric columns superimposed. The baluster ramp and stucco ceilings bear witness to its past prestige. Only the facade and staircase are protected by the 1925 classification. Today, its legal status (associative property) and its use remain subject to debate, between heritage preservation and municipal issues.

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