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Origin and history

Beaucaire City Hall was built between 1679 and 1684, following a judgment of the Court in 1678 ordering its reconstruction. The original plans, proposed by the Nîmes architect Jacques Cubizol, were modified in 1680 by Ponce Alexis de La Feuille, architect of the intendant of Languedoc. The latter imposed major changes: removal of the stair pillars, addition of a loggia, and a slate roof (replaced by tiles in 1704 because of the mistral). These interventions reflected royal control over municipal projects.

The facade, inspired by the Lunaret Hotel in Montpellier, is organized around a rectangular courtyard with a monumental stone staircase. It has the shield of the city framed by suns, emblems of Louis XIV. The berries, decorated with vegetal toruses and friezes, as well as the 17th-century woodwork in the council hall, bear witness to a refined decor. The completion of the square in front of the entrance in 1824 finally made it possible to fully appreciate its appearance.

Ranked a historic monument in 1925, City Hall embodies the alliance between local power and royal authority. Its architecture, marked by northern influences (original roof) and Mediterranean influences (decors), makes it a unique example in the south of France. The Roman remains exposed in the vestibule also recall the ancient history of Beaucaire, a strategic city between Languedoc and Provence.

Misdemeanours to Jules Hardouin-Mansart (architect of the city hall of Arles) were rectified by historians, who instead highlighted similarities with the achievements of Alexis de La Feuille. The dependence of the Beaucairen consuls on royal directives, illustrated by architectural changes, reveals the tensions between municipal autonomy and centralization under the Ancien Régime.

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