Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin
MonumentHidden Treasure
Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin, 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
- 43.6785, 4.6275
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081178
A Renaissance jewel in the heart of old Arles, the Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc's sculpted facades, where Italian influence meets Provençal tradition, bear rare witness to the aristocratic art of living of the 16th century.
History
In the heart of the city of Arles, between the Roman remains and the shady streets of the historic centre, the Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc - also known as the Maison Genin - stands out as one of the finest examples of Renaissance civil architecture in Provence. Listed as a Historic Monument since 1927, this private mansion elegantly combines the rigour of Italianate composition with the ornamental sensibility typical of 16th-century Provencal workshops. What makes this monument so special is above all the quality of its sculpted decoration: the window surrounds with their finely worked mouldings, the antique-style friezes and the fluted pilasters that punctuate the facade reveal the hand of craftsmen well-versed in the new forms coming from Northern Italy, introduced into Provence by the intense commercial and artistic exchanges of the first half of the 16th century. Arles, then a prosperous city and Mediterranean crossroads, was home to a merchant bourgeoisie and noble families keen to show off their success in stone. The experience of visiting the hotel, even from the outside, offers a striking dialogue between the hotel and its immediate surroundings: the low-angled morning light reveals the relief of the sculptures with particular acuity, highlighting the depth of the niches and the delicacy of the foliage. Lovers of art history will appreciate the comparison with other Renaissance hotels in Arles, which together form a veritable open-air museum. Arles, a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its ancient and Romanesque monuments, provides an exceptional setting for the Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc, where each alleyway conceals centuries of overlapping history. A visit to this private mansion is to grasp the transition between the late Middle Ages and humanist modernity, at the heart of a city that has never stopped reinventing itself.
Architecture
The Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc is in the tradition of Provençal Renaissance town houses, characterised by a carefully composed street façade, generally articulated around a monumental portal and transomed windows adorned with classical mouldings. The bays are punctuated by pilasters or pilasters with stylised Ionic or Corinthian capitals, in a style directly inspired by Italian architectural treatises circulating in Provence from the early 16th century. The masonry is typically Provençal, combining local limestone with rendered rubble stone, with ashlar reserved for decorative elements and window surrounds. The interior of this type of Arles residence is generally organised around an inner courtyard - sometimes enhanced by an arcaded gallery - which distributes the different parts of the dwelling and provides freshness and light to the heart of the plot. The main rooms, in piano nobile, have painted coffered ceilings or exposed beams, while the barrel-vaulted cellars, inherited from earlier medieval buildings, are often the oldest part of the building. The roofs, which are low-sloped in accordance with Mediterranean practice, are covered with canal tiles.
Related Figures
Famille Laugier de Montblanc — commanditaires présumés de l'hôtel au XVIe siècleFamille Genin — propriétaires ultérieurs ayant donné leur nom à la demeureFrançois Ier — dont le règne correspond à l'apogée de la Renaissance provençalePierre Eskuyer — maître maçon arlésien actif au XVIe siècle, représentatif des artisans ayant œuvré sur ce type de chantierProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments Historiques, artisan de la politique de protection du patrimoine provençal au XIXe siècle
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin located?
Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin built?
Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin open to visitors?
Hôtel Laugier de Montblanc ou maison Genin is currently closed to visitors.