Hôtel de Gantès, Private mansion in Aix-en-Provence, France.
The Hôtel de Gantès is a private mansion in Aix-en-Provence featuring a refined limestone facade and tall casement windows in the classical style. The building spans two floors with rooms arranged around an interior courtyard, reflecting the residential conventions of 17th-century French aristocracy.
The mansion was built in 1660 for François de Gantès, a senior magistrate in the Parlement of Aix-en-Provence. It survived the upheavals of the French Revolution, though the circles using it underwent profound transformations during that period.
The ground floor housed the Les Deux Garçons café, where Paul Cézanne and Émile Zola held their intellectual discussions before evening meals.
The building sits in the old town center and is easily accessible on foot, with good orientation provided by landmarks in the surrounding area. The narrow streets encourage a leisurely exploration of this historic quarter.
A cafe on the ground floor served as a regular meeting place for painter Paul Cézanne and writer Émile Zola during their formative years. These encounters between the two figures shaped a friendship that would influence both their creative paths.
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