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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Oraison hotel, located in Aix-en-Provence, is a private hotel whose origins date back to the late 16th century. His first known owner was Henri de Raffelis, before he was bought by the city to welcome the governor of Provence, the Duke of Guise, during his stays. This building became a symbol of local prestige, linked to the Provencal aristocracy.

In the 18th century, the hotel was deeply transformed by Mathieu Fulque, Marquis d'Oraison, who acquired and merged several houses between 1731 and 1736 to create an ensemble worthy of his rank. The works began after the purchase of a fifth property in 1736, giving rise to a majestic seven-span facade, typical of the Aix style of the period. The hotel remained in the Fulque family until the Revolution, when it was confiscated as a "national building" in 1792.

After the Revolution, the hotel changed hands several times: sold in 1839 as a successor to a former innkeeper, it was acquired by local personalities, including professors of the Faculty of Law of Aix. In 1881 he passed to François Eugène Carbonnel, secretary of the faculty, before being handed over to his wife in 1909. Ranked a historic monument in 1987, it was restored in 2012, thus preserving its architectural heritage.

Architecturally, the Oraison Hotel is distinguished by its eighteenth-century facade, decorated with vertical windows and dacanthe and mascarons. The cochère door, surmounted by a balcony with triangular pediment, and a second cochère door underline its noble character. These elements, combined with its turbulent history, make it a remarkable testimony of the Aix heritage.

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