Hôtel de Boyer d'Éguilles

Hôtel de Boyer d'Éguilles stands among the grandest private mansions in Aix-en-Provence, built between 1672 and 1675 on what is now rue Espariat. For more than sixty years it housed the city's Natural History Museum, and today it remains one of the finest examples of Provençal Baroque architecture in the old town.

Who built the Hôtel de Boyer d'Éguilles?

The mansion was commissioned by Madeleine de Forbin d'Oppède, widow of Vincent Boyer d'Éguilles, a counsellor at the Parlement of Aix. Construction was carried out under the architect Jaubert, producing a Baroque façade set back behind a forecourt and a carriage gate that has recently been restored. Unlike most Aix mansions, which open directly onto the street, this one follows a Parisian layout: a courtyard of honour enclosed by an ornamental gate. It is also one of only three mansions in Aix built with a colossal order — pilasters running the full height of the façade — which makes it architecturally distinctive even among the city's many private hotels.

What survives inside?

The wrought-iron gate at the entrance dates from 1678 and was forged by the local locksmith Pierre Cachou. Upstairs, three bedrooms retain ceilings painted in the 1680s, and the centrepiece is a state bedroom overlooking the courtyard of honour, decorated in 1682. The building's grand staircase was another highlight visitors admired during its decades as a museum. The mansion, its enclosure, the ground of both courtyards, and the roof have all been listed as a historic monument since 1988.

How did the mansion become a museum?

The building's fortunes shifted considerably after the French Revolution. In the early 20th century it passed to an industrialist named Auguier, who converted it into a pasta factory. In 1936 it was bought by the Union of Mutual Societies of Aix, and by the 1950s it had become home to the city's Natural History Museum, an institution founded back in 1838 by the geologist Henri Coquand. The museum drew roughly 30,000 visitors a year, displaying paleontological, zoological, and ethnographic collections. Its best-known holding was a set of dinosaur eggs discovered in the 1950s in the Sainte-Victoire massif — a find without equal elsewhere in France. In 2014 the collections moved to a new site at Parc Saint-Mitre, leaving the mansion itself as a standalone architectural landmark.

Where exactly is it located?

The Hôtel de Boyer d'Éguilles sits at 6 rue Espariat, right in the historic heart of Aix-en-Provence, a short walk from Place Albertas and Saint-Sauveur Cathedral — an easy stop to combine with a walk through the old town.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the Hôtel de Boyer d'Éguilles? Since the museum moved to Parc Saint-Mitre in 2014, interior access has been limited; the building now functions primarily as a listed monument, and any opening depends on events organised by the city.

When was the mansion built? It was constructed between 1672 and 1675 at the request of Madeleine de Forbin d'Oppède.

Why is this building historically significant? It is one of only three Aix mansions with a colossal-order façade, and it was the long-time home of the Natural History Museum, famed for its Sainte-Victoire dinosaur eggs.

What else is worth seeing nearby? Rue Espariat leads straight to Place Albertas, with its fountain and 18th-century townhouses, and from there it is a short walk to Saint-Sauveur Cathedral and Cours Mirabeau.