Hôtel des Monnaies

The dedication inscription on the front of the building tells us that the home was built in 1619. The building had been commissioned by Cardinal Scipion Borghese, a legate of Pope Paul V. However, there are no records that allow for confirming the architect of the hôtel des Monnaies, for the archives belonging to the vice-legation were destroyed by the occupational forces under King Louis XV in the 18th century, then during the French Revolution. According to Joseph Girard, the façade is 'the most Italian of all the façades in Avignon'. Girard has suggested that the large-scale decorations were sculpted by the Florentine sculptor Simone Bartolacci, who worked in Avignon between 1615 and 1634.

The Hôtel des Monnaies became the barracks for the pontifical Light Brigade (Chevau-légers) in 1760. They shared it with the Maréchaussée (constabulary) in 1768 during the French occupation. Following the French Revolution, when Avignon became part of France, the Hôtel des Monnaies became the barracks for the Gendarmerie from 1790 to 1840. Town Hall services occupied the building from 1846 1852, when the current Town Hall was being built. In 1860, the music conservatory was housed there. It sometimes shared the space with the town fire department.

The City of Avignon has sold the Hôtel des Monnaies to become a boutique-hôtel.

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