The Hôtel d'Estienne-de-Saint-Jean, located at 17 Rue Gaston-de-Saporta in Aix-en-Provence, was built around 1671. Its initial name originates from François d'Estienne, Seigneur of Montfuron and Saint-Jean-de-la-Salle, who inhabited the site before its current construction. The building was erected in the ancient part of the city, known as Bourg Saint-Sauveur, and features a complex plan.
The structure was built from two contiguous houses belonging in the 17th century to two widows: Éléonore Murot and Claire Passart. In 1660, following heavy rains, the Murot house threatened to become a ruin and risk damaging the neighboring house. Mme Passart purchased a portion of the Murot house, leaving the remainder to a neighbor. The widow Murot died in 1662, leaving a successional imbroglio of which Charles d'Estienne de Saint-Jean remained the last heir.
In 1664, the Martigny family, heirs to the name and fortune of the d'Estienne de Saint-Jean, became the property owners through Joseph de Martigny. He commissioned the architect Pierre Puget to realize the hotel. The building eventually became the property of the city of Aix in 1922 through a legacy from Marie d'Estienne de Saint-Jean, and in 1933, the Musée du Vieil-Aix opened its doors within the hotel. The building was classified as a historical monument in 1937.
The interior retains a high level of its original decor and furniture. Notable features include the ground floor vestibule, a Louis XIV-style wrought-iron staircase, and a painted dome featuring a charming boudoir attributed to the workshop of painter Jean Daret around 1675. The facade features a sober wall with fluted pilasters and Corinthian capitals, while the current gate dates from the 18th century.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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