Hôtel de Brucelles, Private mansion in Toulouse, France
The Hôtel de Brucelles is a private mansion in Toulouse featuring a polygonal staircase tower and a brick turret decorated with stone carvings. The structure combines Gothic and Renaissance elements, with superimposed galleries displaying classical architectural orders arranged vertically.
The house was built in 1544 for cloth merchant Arnaud de Brucelles, who served as capitoul of Toulouse from 1534 to 1535. It received official historical monument status in 1925.
The house displays sculpted busts above the entrance and windows showing figures dressed in classical and 16th-century style. These representations convey values like virtue and social standing that the owner and his family wished to express.
The house is located on Rue des Changes in the historic center of Toulouse and can be observed from the street throughout the day. The exterior can be viewed clearly from public walkways, giving good sight lines to the architectural details.
The stacked galleries display different classical architectural orders arranged vertically in a specific sequence from bottom to top. This rare arrangement of column styles reflects the learning and taste of the person who commissioned the building.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.