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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur
  4. Bouches-du-Rhône
  5. 13100 Aix-en-Provence

  6. Hotel de Valbelle in Aix-en-Provence

 Hotel de Valbelle in Aix-en-Provence dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Hotel particulier classé
Bouches-du-Rhône

Hotel de Valbelle in Aix-en-Provence

    24 Rue Mignet
    13100 Aix-en-Provence
Hôtel de Valbelle à Aix-en-Provence
Hôtel de Valbelle à Aix-en-Provence
Hôtel de Valbelle à Aix-en-Provence
Crédit photo : JM Campaner - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

Renaissance
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1600
1700
1800
1900
2000
1617
Initial construction
1655
Gypsum decoration
1729
Architectural changes
1983
Historical Monument
2016
End of administrative use
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The entrance gate with its hemicycle wall; facades and roofs on street and courtyard; the south wall of the courtyard of honour with the fountain and the paved floor of this courtyard; the main staircase with baluster ramps with its decorated cage; the small staircase with its wrought iron ramp overlooking Lisse-Saint-Louis Street; the following rooms with their decoration: on the first floor, the living room to the west of the main staircase and the three rooms in the suite, the two rooms on the small courtyard, the large room to the east of the main staircase, the small oval room on the rue Lisse-Saint-Louis, the wing room is on the courtyard of honor, the living room called the Trophies; on the second floor, the room of the east wing to the north of the small staircase, the large room to the east of the large staircase and the room at the south-west corner (Box AD 88): by order of 21 February 1983

Key figures

Jean Baptiste Covet - Baron de Trets, Counsellor in Parliament First owner, construction sponsor.
Joseph Anne de Valbelle - Marquis de Tourves, President of Parliament Acquirer in 1655, eponymous family.
Joseph-Alphonse-Omer de Valbelle - Owner in the 18th century Heir and notable occupant.

Origin and history

The Hotel de Valbelle is a private hotel built in 1617 in Aix-en-Provence for Jean Baptiste Covet, Baron de Trets and councillor in parliament. It replaces the old Logis de la Cloche and is built on a central location between Mignet and Lisse-Saint-Louis streets. Its architecture reflects the high social status of its first owner, member of the Provencal judicial elite.

In 1655, the hotel was sold to Joseph Anne de Valbelle, Marquis de Tourves and President of Parliament. In the same year, the decoration of staircase gypseries, decorated with baroque motifs, is dated on the second floor landing. This set reflects the artistic influence of the time and the fascination associated with parliamentary families. The hotel remains in the family of Valbelle, notably under Joseph-Alphonse-Omer (1729-1778), owner of the Château de Valbelle in Tourves.

In the 18th century, the hotel underwent modifications and enlargements, reflecting the evolution of architectural tastes towards more comfort and symmetry. After the Revolution, it became the property of the State and successively housed a gendarmerie and then the sub-prefecture of Aix-en-Provence until 2016. Ranked a historic monument in 1983, it is now destined for conversion into luxury apartments after its acquisition by the Inovalis Group for 9 million euros.

The protected elements include the entrance gate, the facades, the main staircase with balusters, as well as several rooms with preserved decorations, such as the Salon des Trophies. These architectural details illustrate the historic importance of the hotel, a symbol of the power and refinement of the Aixese elites under the Old Regime.

The hotel of Valbelle is located in a set of private hotels in Aix, characteristic of the city in the 17th and 18th centuries. These urban residences, often linked to parliamentary or noble families, formed a network of power and social representation. Their preservation makes it possible to understand the spatial and political organization of Aix-en-Provence at that time.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum