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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel de Forbin is an iconic mansion located at no 20 of the Cours Mirabeau, in the city centre of Aix-en-Provence. Built from 1656 on order of Caesar of Milan, this monument reflects the civil architecture of the second half of the seventeenth century, with later modifications to the eighteenth century. Its style and history make it a major testimony of the Aix heritage, now partially protected as historical monuments.

The construction of the hotel was initiated by the architect Pierre Pavillon for César de Milan, but the latter died in 1657, leaving his widow and son Claude, president of the Parliament of Aix, to complete the works. The name Forbin comes from the marriage of Claude de Milan with Gabrielle de Forbin in 1672, thus uniting two influential families of the Provencal nobility. The building retains remarkable elements such as its carrosses portal, its staircase of honor and its first floor lounges, classified in 1991.

In the 20th century, the hotel changed its vocation: in 1936, Crédit Lyonnais became its owner and installed its offices, a function it still retains today. The successive protections (inscription in 1990, partial classification in 1991) include facades, roofs, vestibule, decorated lounges and remains of the old garden. These measures highlight the heritage value of a place where family history, baroque architecture and local economic memory blend together.

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