Immeubles
MonumentHidden Treasure
Immeubles, 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
- 43.6772, 4.6272
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081160
In the heart of ancient Arles, these 16th-century buildings combine Provençal sobriety with Renaissance elegance: ashlar facades, mullioned windows and sculpted portals bear witness to a bygone art of urban living.
History
Nestled in the medieval and ancient fabric of Arles, these 16th-century buildings are one of the most precious examples of Renaissance civil architecture in Provence. Built at a time when the city was undergoing a remarkable economic and cultural revival - buoyed by the river trade on the Rhône and the influence of the great parliamentary families of Aix - they embody a subtle synthesis of Provençal building traditions and the humanist currents coming out of Italy. What makes these buildings so unique is precisely their integration into an urban fabric of rare historical density. Arles, the former Roman capital of Narbonne Gaul, has superimposed different eras like no other city in the south of France: the streets have retained their ancient layout, and it's not unusual for Renaissance facades to rest on substructures dating back to late Antiquity. In this way, the buildings interact with the arenas, the ancient theatre and the Palaeochristian remains to create a strikingly coherent urban panorama. The visitor experience is first and foremost that of a stroll. You have to take the time to stop and observe the cut of the stones, the layout of the bays and the sculpted motifs adorning the lintels and capitals. These details, discreet to those who pass by without looking, reveal the hand of stonemasons who mastered a decorative repertoire inspired by ancient models and engravings circulating throughout Europe at the time. The setting adds to the emotion: the narrow streets that precede these façades retain a human scale that is conducive to contemplation. The light of the Midi, raw and frank, accents the sculpted reliefs and makes the limestone vibrate with warm tones of honey and ochre. Photographers and lovers of urban architecture will find plenty of material for hours of attentive exploration.
Architecture
The architecture of these buildings reflects the sober, refined Renaissance style of Provence, as distinct from the decorative exuberance of the Loire Valley. The façades, built of local limestone in beige and gold tones, feature a vertical composition punctuated by stone mullioned windows, characteristic of the early 16th century: their crosspieces divide the bays into four compartments and bear witness to a consummate mastery of carving. The window sills and lintels can be decorated with cavet or quarter-round mouldings, sometimes with small plant motifs - acanthus leaf scrolls, palmettes - borrowed from the ancient repertoire, which was particularly prominent in the Arles context. The portals are often the decorative showpiece: framed by pilasters with Tuscan or Doric capitals, topped with triangular pediments or dentilled cornices, they mark the home of a nobleman keen to display his humanist culture. Inside, the layout follows a typical Mediterranean plan: a vaulted entrance opens onto an inner courtyard or a corridor leading to the staircase, with the reception rooms on the upper floors. The roofs are low-pitched, in keeping with the tradition of the Midi region, and covered with red terracotta tiles laid in lime mortar. The walls, sixty to eighty centimetres thick, provide effective natural thermal regulation, a precious quality in the Arles sunshine. The whole ensemble bears witness to a highly skilled building trade, heir to Roman and medieval traditions that the Renaissance was able to renew without abolishing.
Related Figures
Artisans tailleurs de pierre de l'atelier arlésien du XVIe siècle, héritiers des carriers de FontvieilleFamilles de négociants et officiers royaux commanditaires, enrichis par le commerce rhodanienMaîtres maçons provençaux formés aux chantiers de Marseille et d'Aix-en-ProvenceArchitectes des Bâtiments de France de la DRAC PACA, garants de la protection depuis 1988Frédéric Mistral, qui a contribué à la valorisation du patrimoine urbain arlésien au XIXe siècle
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Immeubles located?
Immeubles is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Immeubles built?
Immeubles dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Immeubles open to visitors?
Immeubles is currently closed to visitors.