Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hôtel des Vignes, located at 35 rue de l'Aiguillerie in Montpellier, is a historical monument whose origins date back at least to the 15th century, as evidenced by the two vaulted rooms of warheads still visible today. This narrow building, probably from the morcellation of a larger building, was profoundly remodelled in the seventeenth century. Its spatial organization adapts to a constrained plot: a covered passage, surmounted by a baluster terrace, precedes an inner courtyard giving access to vaulted rooms. The staircase, a remarkable element, revolves around this terrace which also serves as a landing, with short flights on the upper floor and a rotating flight for the upper levels.

In the 16th century, the hotel belonged to Jean de Vignes, doctor and lawyer, figure who marked his history. The entrance door opens onto a passage covered with a flat ceiling supported by arches in basket handle, characteristic of the architecture of the time. On the side of the courtyard, this passage widens to support a terrace decorated with balusters, itself carried by three arches in basket handle. The elements protected by the inscription to the Historic Monuments in 1964 include this staircase, terraces and galleries on courtyards, highlighting their heritage value.

The building illustrates a superimposition of styles and periods: the 15th century remains, like the ogival vaults, coexist with the 16th and 17th century developments. The terrace, in addition to its structural role, served as an intermediate level, while the staircase, with its adapted flights, reflects spatial ingenuity to fit into a dense urban space. The partial inclusion in the title of the Historic Monuments in 1964 preserved these emblematic elements, although the exact location of the monument is judged to be of medium accuracy (level 6/10).

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