An 18th Century Patrician Dwelling, Conducive To A Variety Of Interpretations, In The Ancient

An 18th-century patrician dwelling, conducive to a variety of interpretations, in the ancient Roman city of Arles, within the greater Provencal region. The small street, within immediate proximity to the ancient Roman arena and theatre, is located in the heart of Gallo-Roman Arles. Here, each street and each stone is marked by history, while successive generations and buildings have helped highlight its existing antique edifices. As for the Hauture hillside, situated in the city’s historical sector, it combines the monumental outlines of imperial Antiquity with the architectural beauty that later Provencal powers brought to this city, whereas this neighbourhood has been able to successfully preserve its residential charm despite, like in all Western cities, the town’s westward expansion.

Thanks to a 19th-century local scholar, we now know that the property, enclosed by walls, was made up of two dwellings in 1735 before being sold by a squire from Avignon. Facing east-west, this three-storey ashlar stone dwelling features an inhabitable floor area of approximately 290 m² and was built above a basement of cellars, which was once used to ensure the dwelling’s overall sanitation.

With rectangular, small-paned windows on its two lower floors, topped with arched entablatures and safeguarded by solid metal and wooden shutters, its burnished plaster-coated exteriors blend in seamlessly with the other buildings on the street, while its heavy wooden entrance, decorated with scrollwork, a low arched stone entablature and a typically Rococo-style cartouche, confirms the building’s Regency-Louis XV architectural origins.

Lastly, the dwelling boasts a verdant concrete patio, of approximately 40 m² and accessible from the first floor, a garage, located below, similar in size and topped with a mezzanine, as well as a rear stone courtyard.
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website: https://www.georisques.gouv.fr/