Hôtel d'Assézat

The Hôtel d'Assézat in Toulouse, France, is a French Renaissance hôtel particulier (individual mansion) of the 16th century which houses the Bemberg Foundation, a major art gallery of the city. The hôtel was likely built by Toulouse architect Nicolas Bachelier for Pierre d'Assézat, an internationally renowned Toulouse woad merchant at the time. As one of the first manifestations of French classicism it is an outstanding example of Renaissance palaces architecture of southern France, with a use of brick typical of Toulouse and an elaborate decoration of the cour d'honneur (courtyard) influenced by Italian Mannerism and by classicism. The Hôtel d'Assézat differs from the other Renaissance townhouses in Toulouse not only in size and its exceptional ornamentation, but also in its pristine condition, a fact which earns it a mention in every overview of French Renaissance. The hôtel now belongs to the City of Toulouse and was restored in the 1980s. It is home to the Académie des Jeux Floraux and the Bemberg Foundation.