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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
  4. Alpes-Maritimes
  5. 06520 Grasse

  6. Hotel Court de Fontmichel and its outbuildings

 Hotel Court de Fontmichel and its outbuildings à Grasse dans les Alpes-Maritimes

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Hotel particulier classé
Alpes-Maritimes

Hotel Court de Fontmichel and its outbuildings

    18 Rue Amiral-de-Grasse
    06520 Grasse
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel à Grasse
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel et ses dépendances
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel et ses dépendances
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel et ses dépendances
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel et ses dépendances
Hôtel Court de Fontmichel et ses dépendances
Crédit photo : Copyleft - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1700
1800
1900
2000
1690
Construction begins
années 1750
Major reorganization
1759–1762
Art commissions
1774
Sale to family Court
XIXe siècle
Rental arrangements
2020–2025
Monumental protections
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The staircase with wrought iron ramp; woodwork of the Grand Salon and the Salon des Grecs (Case E 12): inscription by decree of 15 April 1966; In total, the following parts of the ensemble formed by the Hotel Court de Fontmichel and its outbuildings, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree: the private hotel, including its decors, its garden of pleasure and the building called "balançoire", located 18 rue Amiral-de-Grasse and 1 traverse des nuns, on the plot formerly cadastral section BH n°55 and appearing in the renovated cadastre on Parcel BH n°452, the outbuilding of the commercial hotel, including the English court, as well as the garden factory, called "lectissoir", the greenhouse and the surrounding terrace, located 17 rue Jean-d'Ossola, on Parcel n°69, appearing in the BH cadastre, the outbuilding for the use of kitchen and cellar located 4 impasse of the hares and accessible from 18 rue Amiral-de-Grasse, on Parcel n°375, appearing in the cadastre section BH: inscription by order of 3 September 2020; The following parts of the ensemble formed by the Hotel Court de Fontmichel and its outbuildings, located 18 rue Amiral-de-Grasse, 4 impasse des Lièvres and 17 rue Jean-Ossola: the facades and roofs of the hotel and all its outbuildings; on the ground floor of the hotel, the Greek living room, the large living room, the blue living room and the dining room; the garden factory called "lectissoire" (all); shown on parcels No 69, No 375 and No 452, section BH of the cadastre of the commune, as represented in red or pink on the plans annexed to the decree: classification by order of 8 July 2025

Key figures

Jacques de Théas - Initial owner Father of the 18th-century heirs
Albert de Théas - Workmaster Leads the reconstruction years 1750
François de Thorenc - Artistic sponsor King's Lieutenant, patron
Antoine-Marie Court - Acquirer in 1774 Ancestor of current owners
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - Child witness Summons the hotel in its memoirs

Origin and history

The Court Hotel in Fontmichel, originally called Hotel de Théas de Caille, is an emblematic building in Grasse, the construction of which began in 1690 under the impulse of the family of Theas. The land, acquired at the end of the 17th century, bordered the medieval enclosure of the city (XIIth–XIIIth centuries). The hotel underwent a major overhaul in the 1750s under the direction of Albert de Théas, the principal heir, with the addition of a floor and almost total reconstruction. This project is part of a complex family context, aimed at housing the many sons of Jacques de Théas.

Count François de Thorenc, brother of Albert and king's lieutenant during the Seven Years' War, plays a key role in the beautification of the hotel. In Frankfurt, he attended Goethe's father's house and ordered works between 1759 and 1762 from local artists (Schütz, Seekatz, Trautmann, etc.) to decorate the hotel. These sets, inspired by German artistic emulation, are a lasting mark of the young Goethe, who evokes this period in his memoirs. In Grasse, the works were completed in the early 1760s, with the addition of a private wing (small house) and stables, forming a symmetrical set with terraced garden.

A family dispute broke out shortly afterwards, leading to the sale of the small house and the departure of the Frankfurt decors to a new residence of the Count. In 1774, the hotel was sold to Antoine-Marie Court, ancestor of the present owners. In the 19th century, interior (private vestibule) and exterior (suspended garden) arrangements were made to adapt the hotel to rental purposes. The protections for the Historic Monuments are in stages: inscriptions in 1965, 1966 and 2020, followed by a partial ranking in 2025 (facades, fairs, lecitsoir).

The hotel is distinguished by its wrought iron staircase, its woodwork of the Greek and blue salons, and its garden factory (light), which bears witness to the European artistic influences of the eighteenth century. Its history reflects the social and cultural dynamics of the Grossoese aristocracy, between medieval heritages, architectural ambitions and transnational intellectual networks.

The outbuildings, including a kitchen, a greenhouse and an English courtyard, complete this classified set, now partially accessible. The main address, 18 rue Amiral-de-Grasse, is located in the heart of the historical heritage of Grasse, in the Alpes-Maritimes.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum