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Origin and history

The Italian House of Castelsarrasin, built in the early seventeenth century, embodies the architectural influence of Mary of Medici, regent queen of Italian origin. This brick and stone monument, commissioned by the Spanish family – a notable line of the city – is distinguished by a square tower in corbellation, crowned with a dome with four slopes and a lantern. Its gate, adorned with a shield today anonymous, opened on a closed courtyard framed by three buildings, one of which features a rounded pediment typical of Italian style in vogue.

The hotel reflects the social prestige of its sponsors, the Spanish, who incorporated emblematic elements such as a gazebo and carved models. The overhanging turret, demolished in 1956, partially altered its original appearance. After restorations, the building has been home since the 21st century to the Firmin Bouisset Museum, the city's cultural services, and a temporary exhibition hall, perpetuating its central role in the local heritage.

The building also illustrates the French-Italian cultural exchanges of the seventeenth century, when the provincial aristocracy adopted transalpine models to assert its rank. Its structure, combining geometric rigor and ornaments, bears witness to the adaptation of Italian cannons to regional materials, such as the characteristic pink brick of Tarn-et-Garonne. However, the accuracy of its location remains poor (level 5/10), with conflicting addresses between sources (rue de la Révolution or rue de la Solitude).

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