Hôtel Raousset-Boulbon

Hôtel Raousset-Boulbon in Aix-en-Provence stands at number 14 on the Cours Mirabeau, the grand tree-lined avenue that anchors the historic centre of this Provençal city.

What kind of building is this, exactly?

Despite the word "hôtel" in its name, this isn't a place to book a room. In French architectural terms, an hôtel particulier is a large private townhouse, typically built for a noble or wealthy family, and that's precisely what this address has been since the seventeenth century.

When was it built, and by whom?

Construction dates to 1660, commissioned by Honoré de Rascas, Lord of Le Cannet and a councillor of the Parlement of Aix. Ownership didn't stay in the Rascas family for long: in 1698 his nephew sold the property to Silvy de Raousset, Count of Boulbon, then president of the parlement. It's this transaction that gave the mansion the name it still carries today, even though the Raousset-Boulbon family wasn't its final owner.

How did the Fauris de Saint-Vincens family shape its history?

In 1739 the house passed to Antoine de Fauris, marking the start of a long association with the Fauris de Saint-Vincens line. His son, Jules-François-Paul Fauris de Saint-Vincens (1718–1798), sat as président à mortier of the Parlement of Aix from 1746 onward. A generation later, his grandson Alexandre de Fauris de Saint-Vincens (1750–1815) held the same judicial title from 1782 and went on to serve as mayor of Aix-en-Provence between 1808 and 1809. It was this family's tenure that cemented the building's place in the city's civic history.

What does the interior look like today?

The ground floor preserves a layout typical of grand Provençal townhouses: an entrance vestibule, a spacious reception room overlooking a private garden, a bedroom and a library. Two further rooms have since been converted to commercial use and are currently occupied by a branch of Société Générale, the French bank. The mansion therefore functions today as a hybrid space — part private residence, part business premises — a common outcome for historic townhouses that survive in the middle of a busy city centre.

Can visitors go inside?

Not really, and that's the point to manage expectations on. The building remains privately owned and partly occupied by a bank, so there's no public tour route or ticketed entry. What visitors can do is walk the Cours Mirabeau itself and take in the façade at street level — the proportions of the windows, the stonework, and the overall restraint of the design are a good example of seventeenth-century Provençal urban architecture, best appreciated as part of a longer stroll down the avenue rather than as a standalone stop.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hôtel Raousset-Boulbon a place where I can stay overnight? No. Despite the word "hôtel," this is a historic private townhouse (hôtel particulier), not lodging. It combines residential space with offices rented to a bank.

Why is it named after Raousset-Boulbon if the Fauris family lived there longest? The name comes from Silvy de Raousset, Count of Boulbon, who bought the property in 1698. The Fauris de Saint-Vincens family only acquired it in 1739, decades later, but the earlier name stuck.

Where exactly is it located in Aix-en-Provence? At number 14, Cours Mirabeau — the city's main avenue, an easy walk from the Rotonde fountain and the rest of the historic centre.

Is the building protected as a historic monument? Yes, it's listed among France's monuments historiques, reflecting its architectural and historical significance to the region.