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Origin and history

The Maison des Têtes is a private hotel built between 1528 and 1532 by Antoine de Dorne, professor at the University and Consul of Valencia, inspired by a trip to Italy. This emblematic monument of the early 16th century marks the transition between the flamboyant Gothic and the Renaissance, with a facade richly decorated with carved heads (winds, Fortune, Time) and medallions of Roman emperors. Its name comes from the 50 heads adorning its walls, symbolizing arts, science and mythology.

Originally, the house belonged to Dorne's family, then passed by alliance to the Marquets at the end of the sixteenth century, which completed its decoration. Confiscated as national property in 1794 during the Terror, it was sold to the widow of a bookseller, Madeleine Vernet, before becoming property of her son, Joseph Marc Emmanuel Aurel, chief printer of the Army of Egypt under Bonaparte. The house changed hands several times in the 19th century, until it was bought by the city of Valencia in 1980.

Ranked a historic monument in 1944, the House of the Heads was the object of major restorations (1960–2018) to preserve its fragile stone (molasse), combining techniques of consolidation, grating and replacement by sandstone of the Vosges. Today, it houses the Maison du Patrimoine (CIAP) and a permanent exhibition on the history of Valencia, from antiquity to the present day, with models of local monuments such as the Cathedral of Saint-Apollinaire.

Its architecture organizes four houses around a square courtyard, designed to showcase the owner's wealth. The street façade, exuberant, contrasts with the sobriety of the inner courtyard, where a staircase with screws serves the floors. The entrance corridor, vaulted Gothic dogives, is decorated with Roman busts and putti. Among the remarkable elements, a carved door (now at the Museum of Valencia) represents four Fathers of the Church, the last touch to this decor which gave its name to the building.

The Maison des Têtes is part of a network of homonymous buildings in France (Viviers, Colmar, Béziers, Metz), although the Toulon building was destroyed. Its partially unfinished decor was originally to cover two facades, as evidenced by the wind heads visible on the north side. Recent restorations (2017–2018) have benefited from the patronage of local companies and the Heritage Foundation, as part of a master plan for valuing the valentine heritage.

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