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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel d'Arbaud-Jouques, located 19 Cours Mirabeau and 17 rue Courteissade in Aix-en-Provence, is a private hotel built during the first half of the 18th century. Its construction was made possible by the destruction of three old houses on its present site. André Elzéar d'Arbaud, President of the Parliament of Provence, undertook this ambitious project after his marriage in 1697, at the age of twenty-one. The hotel was built over a period of forty years, reflecting the architectural and social aspirations of its sponsor.

The hotel's sober and orderly façade is distinguished by its eight openings on three floors, making it the largest on the north side of the Mirabeau River. It responds to the facades of the Maurel hotels in Pontevès and Forbin, located opposite. The elegance of the building rests in particular on the walnut sculptures of the vantals of the main door and on the ironwork pieces of the balconies. Inside, the salons and boudoirs house a rare decorative ensemble, mixing influences ranging from the Berain style of the Regency to the 18th century rock, including neoclassical pumpey elements.

The Hotel d'Arbaud-Jouques was listed as historic monuments on 5 November 1990. Protected elements include the main building, the floor of the inner courtyard, and the facades and roofs of the eastern and northern buildings. This private hotel bears witness to the architectural and artistic refinement of the wealthy Aixese families of the 17th and 18th centuries, while illustrating the evolution of the decorative styles of the period.

The rich and cultivated families of Arbaud and Jouques marked the history of this hotel by developing an exceptional interior decor. Their influence has helped make this building a remarkable example of the Aix heritage, both in its architecture and in its interior design. Today, the hotel remains a valuable testimony to the social and artistic history of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.

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