Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Molinier hotel, also known as Felzins or Cathelan Hotel, is a private hotel located at 22 rue de la Dalbade, in the historic centre of Toulouse. Built around 1550 for Gaspard Molinier, adviser to the Toulouse Parliament, it illustrates the Toulouse Renaissance architecture. Its manerist portal, dated 1556, is one of the richest in the city, with twin Corinthian columns, marble inlays and a fantastic bestiary. The hotel, organised around an inner courtyard and a garden transformed into a courtyard, underwent renovations in the 17th and 19th centuries.

The hotel passes into the hands of several influential families: the Molinier (16th century), the Cathelan (1601-1794), and the Felzins in the 19th century. Gaspard Molinier, his first owner, brings together two houses to create this ensemble, including a stair tower and rare marble decorations for the time. After his death in 1570, the hotel was sold to Jean de Cathelan, treasurer general of Languedoc, before remaining in his progeny until the Revolution.

In the 19th century, Raymond Dufau de Felzins, founder of the Toulouse Savings Bank, modernized the hotel. Despite these transformations, Renaissance elements remain, like a monumental 16th century chimney decorated with bas-reliefs depicting Hercules and Roman emperors. Ranked Historic Monument in 1889, the portal was restored in 2000-2001. The hotel mixes brick, stone and marble, with polychromy games characteristic of the Toulouse Renaissance architecture.

The buildings, organized around three courtyards, reflect construction campaigns spread from the 16th to the 19th century. The first courtyard, narrow, gives access to a stair tower, while the second, old garden, is surrounded by "U" buildings. The third courtyard, at the bottom of the plot, completes this set. Materials and decorations, such as marble inlays, bear witness to the prestige of its sponsors, close to Parliament and the nobility of Toulouse dress.

The hotel Felzins embodies the fascist of Renaissance parliamentary houses, combining architectural innovation and power symbols. His portal, attributed to Nicolas Bachelier, bears the stoic motto sustine and abstin (support and refrain), reflecting the humanistic values of the time. The subsequent transformations, though significant, did not erase its Renaissance character, making this hotel a major testimony of Toulouse's heritage.

External links