Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Viviès, built in the 16th century in Castres by Monsieur de Rozel, a lawyer in the chamber of edict, embodies the Renaissance style told to the Toulouse. Backed by the old city's enclosure, he then moved to the families of Saint Rome and then to Viviès. Its classical plan, with three wings around a court of honor and a monumental portal adorned with the Rozel coat of arms, reflects the aristocratic habitat of the Midi.

The square tower, which houses a French staircase with two parallel flights, is distinguished by its carved oculi and its frontons in a gendarme hat. The crucifixed windows, pilasters and geometric mouldings of the doors testify to a careful decor. Starting in 1986, the hotel hosts a Centre d'Art Contemporain, but its condition deteriorates sharply by 2012, prompting calls for its restoration.

Ranked a historic monument in 1937 for its facades, roofs and interior elements (stone stairway, decorative loggia, exposed floor ceilings), the hotel illustrates the adaptation of Renaissance architectural models to local particularities. Its bossed portal, flanked by console pilasters, and its sculpted coat of arms underline its original prestige.

In 2012, a local elected official alerts the authorities (mayor, deputies, DRAC) to save the building, highlighting the challenges of preserving historic private hotels. Despite its recent cultural use, its structure remains threatened by lack of maintenance, while it is a rare example of Renaissance private habitat in Occitanie.

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