Ancien hôtel Boussicaud
MonumentHidden Treasure
Ancien hôtel Boussicaud, located in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.6752, 4.6211
- Mérimée Reference
- PA13000082
In the heart of Arles, this 17th-century town house epitomises the golden age of Arles domestic architecture, with its painted ceilings and sumptuous gypsum fireplaces of rare finesse.
History
Hidden away in the dense urban fabric of old Arles, the former Hôtel Boussicaud is one of those discreet gems that the city of Camargue knows so well how to keep to itself. With its sober facade, aligned with the street as required by the municipal ordinances of the time, nothing immediately betrays the inner wealth of this building, which in the 17th century was the home of a landed bourgeoisie with a discreet but very real fortune. It is inside that the building reveals all its soul. The painted ceilings, dating from the early 17th century, are a rare curiosity in Arles' heritage. Created in accordance with the decorative canons of the early Southern Baroque period, they combine geometric ornamentation, floral motifs and allegorical figures in a colourful style that bears witness to a patron who was keen to embrace the artistic modernity of his time. The gypsum mantels - a plaster sculpting technique inherited from Provencal workshops - rival the best hotel mantels in the region for elegance. To visit the Hôtel Boussicaud is to plunge back into a 17th century that travel guides don't always mention. Far from the crowded Roman amphitheatres and cloisters of Saint-Trophime, this place is for the curious who know that the genius of a city can also be seen in its bourgeois residences, in the way its wealthy inhabitants have chosen to live and represent themselves. The Arles setting adds even more charm to the visit. The city of Alyscamps, listed by UNESCO for its ancient remains, offers an incomparable setting for a stroll. The Hôtel Boussicaud is part of a district where each façade tells the story of several centuries of history, where Roman antiquity, the Middle Ages and the classical Renaissance rub shoulders on every street corner. Listed as a Historic Monument by decree on 2 March 2016, this building now enjoys official protection, confirming its importance in the heritage landscape of a town that is already exceptionally well endowed. A precious testimony to what Arles was like when its merchants and landowners built for eternity.
Architecture
The Hôtel Boussicaud is in keeping with the great tradition of the 17th-century Provencal town house, whose basic codes it respects: organisation around a central core, vertical distribution via a grand staircase, and a limestone ashlar facade typical of the Arles region. The local stone, extracted from the nearby Alpilles quarries, gives the building the warm blond hue so recognisable in the town's historic buildings. On the façade, the alignment imposed by the municipal by-laws of the 17th and 18th centuries has produced a sober elevation, punctuated by regular openings of classical proportions. This rigorous exterior deliberately contrasts with the decorative generosity of the interiors. Inside, the painted ceilings are the highlight of the building: spread across the reception rooms on the first floor, they display an ornamental programme combining coloured caissons, plant motifs and emblematic figures typical of the bourgeois iconography of the Grand Siècle. The gypsum mantels, meanwhile, bear witness to a specifically Provençal mastery of technique: gypsum - sulphated plaster - is worked into finely sculpted reliefs, producing deceptively light surrounds despite the robustness of the material.
Related Figures
Famille Boussicaud — propriétaires éponymes, représentants de la bourgeoisie terrienne arlésienne du XVIIe siècleCommanditaire de la reconstruction de 1616 — identité non établie, vraisemblablement un notable arlésien lié au négoce ou à la propriété foncièreArtisans peintres du début du XVIIe siècle — auteurs des plafonds peints, formés à la tradition décorative provençaleSculpteurs gypsiers provençaux — maîtres artisans ayant réalisé les cheminées en gypserieConsuls municipaux d'Arles (1686-1769) — commanditaires de la politique d'alignement des façades ayant façonné l'aspect extérieur actuel
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Ancien hôtel Boussicaud located?
Ancien hôtel Boussicaud is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Ancien hôtel Boussicaud built?
Ancien hôtel Boussicaud dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Ancien hôtel Boussicaud open to visitors?
Ancien hôtel Boussicaud is currently closed to visitors.