Construction for Paulhan Baron 1616 (≈ 1616)
Initial mansion of the Baron.
1622
Visit of Louis XIII
Visit of Louis XIII 1622 (≈ 1622)
Royal stay at the baron.
1660
Stay of Marie-Thérèse
Stay of Marie-Thérèse 1660 (≈ 1660)
Queen housed in the hotel.
4 juin 1661
Purchase by Ursulines
Purchase by Ursulines 4 juin 1661 (≈ 1661)
Transformation into a convent for £23,000.
1779
Reconstruction of the reservoir
Reconstruction of the reservoir 1779 (≈ 1779)
Jacques Cavalier's work for the aqueduct.
1931
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 1931 (≈ 1931)
Protection of the door and statue.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Door with its vantals and statue of the Virgin: inscription by decree of 7 October 1931
Key figures
Baron de Paulhan de Guers - Initial owner
Hotel commander in 1616.
Louis XIII - King of France
Stayed in 1622 in the hotel.
Marie-Thérèse - Queen of France
There lived in 1660.
Jacques Cavalier - Architect
Reconstructed the tank in 1779.
Origin and history
The Hôtel-Dieu de Pézenas, originally built as a mansion for the Baron of Paulhan de Guers in 1616, illustrates the architecture of the 16th–15th centuries. The entrance door, adorned with ionic pilasters, an oculus and a broken pediment, houses a niche with an 18th century marble statue of the Virgin. The building also preserves lower rooms and a water reservoir rebuilt in 1779 by Jacques Cavalier, fed by an urban aqueduct.
Formerly owned by the Baron of Paulhan, the hotel welcomed royal personalities: Louis XIII in 1622 and Queen Marie-Thérèse in 1660. Purchased in 1661 by the Ursulines for £23,000, he became their convent before being transformed into a hospital after the Revolution. The door and its statue, classified as Historic Monument in 1931, bear witness to its rich past.
The door frame features partial bosses, ionic capitals and carved medallions. Above, a diamond-pointed key overcomes a cut pediment with overturned consoles. The studded vantals and the niche housing the Virgin, typical of the Baroque style, underline its heritage importance. Today, the building remains a symbol of local history.
