Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Solas, located in Montpellier, is a historic monument built in the first half of the seventeenth century. The building, which was thoroughly renovated in the 18th century during a piecemeal redistribution, retains an exceptional facade decoration and manerist portal. Medieval vestiges are incorporated, while tradition reports that Louis XIV had stayed there in 1660. The dating of the facades, gargoyles and portal suggests a realization close to this date.

The gate, adorned with hopper bosses and dorsal pilasters, is surmounted by a broken circular pediment surrounding a tabernacle. The gargoyles, with grimacing motifs still influenced by the Gothic, contrast with the wrought iron grilles on the first floor, added later. The latter, with the motifs of lily flowers and volutes, date from later changes, as did the staircase of 1872, replacing an old staircase in screws. The building, owned by Jean de Solas (President of the Court of Auditors), underwent successive modifications in the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Protected elements include facades on Fournarié and Girone streets, the gate with its vantals, and wrought iron gates. In 1965, the inscription in the title of the Historical Monuments highlighted the heritage value of these decorations, mixing Mannerist, Gothic and classical influences. The approximate address, 7 rue de Girone, and the available coordinates offer a fair location (note: 5/10), although some inaccuracies remain.

Local tradition combines the hotel with the passage of Louis XIV, although this anecdote is not historically verified in the source text. The renovations under Antoine Bonnier d'Alco (XVIIIth century) and the renovation of the entrance to the 19th century reflect a continuous occupation and adaptation of the building, now owned by a private company.

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