Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

This house, located in the enlargement of La Ciotat in the seventeenth century, is a rare architectural testimony of this period in the city. Although its exact history remains unknown, the two preserved elements – a vestibule decorated with gypsum medallions and an open cage staircase decorated with gypsum boxes and panels – allow it to date precisely the years 1640-1650. These stylistic details, typical of the middle of the century, make it a local example of Provencal civil architecture of the emerging baroque era.

The rest of the house, including the facades and interiors, underwent subsequent transformations that erased any visible traces of its original state. Only the vestibule, stairway and roof were protected by an inscription to the Historic Monuments in 1999, highlighting their heritage value. The location of the building, between Adolphe-Abeille Street and Ganteaume Pier, reflects its integration into the expanded urban fabric of La Ciotat in the seventeenth century, a period marked by the port and commercial development of the city.

No documents mention the sponsors or craftsmen who worked on this house, and its initial use (bourgeois residence, mansion, or other) is not specified. Subsequent changes, undated, altered the original appearance, making it difficult to reconstruct its primitive appearance. Despite this, the preserved elements provide an overview of gypsum decorative techniques, materials valued in the region for its low cost and ease of implementation.

The 1999 protection refers specifically to the old vestibule, stairway and roof (cadastre AB 188), but does not extend to the redesigned parts. This late inscription illustrates a relatively recent heritage awareness for minor civilian buildings, often neglected for religious or military monuments. Today, the house does not seem open to the public, and its current state or contemporary vocation is not documented.

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