Date: 13th century
Period: Middle Ages
Type : Public community architecture
Status : Property of the City of Arles Classified as a Historic Monument
From the Plan de la Cour, four buildings, not just one, bear witness to several centuries of communal power.
The Palais des Podestats, on the right, is the oldest of these. Romanesque in style, it dates from the 13th century. From west to east, we find the 15th-century town hall, the 17th-century town hall and the 16th-century belfry. From the Latin potestas ("power"), in the Middle Ages the podestat was the chief magistrate of certain towns in Italy and the South of France.
In Arles' history, the term refers to a troubled period, when tensions between the various powers (comtal, seigniorial, ecclesiastical) were so high that a professional was appointed to administer the town. Until the construction of the town hall and the development of the square to the south, communal power was exercised on the Plan de la Cour. Today, the premises of the Podestats' Palace, like those of the neighboring town hall, are occupied by municipal services. The fortified facade still features crenellations, loopholes, semi-circular windows and a Romanesque porch. To the left of this facade, you can still see the "banc de justice", the stone steps where the county officers took their oaths and swore to respect the town's privileges. In the courtyard, where the buildings were extensively modified when the municipal offices were redeveloped, you can still see the former prison dungeons, and interesting graffiti on the wall facing the porch. The maison commune, forerunner of the town hall, built by the consuls in the 15th century, adjoins the Podestats' palace on the left. Its facade stands out from the previous one, particularly for its large windows with lintels and mullions.
Period: Middle Ages
Type : Public community architecture
Status : Property of the City of Arles Classified as a Historic Monument
From the Plan de la Cour, four buildings, not just one, bear witness to several centuries of communal power.
The Palais des Podestats, on the right, is the oldest of these. Romanesque in style, it dates from the 13th century. From west to east, we find the 15th-century town hall, the 17th-century town hall and the 16th-century belfry. From the Latin potestas ("power"), in the Middle Ages the podestat was the chief magistrate of certain towns in Italy and the South of France.
In Arles' history, the term refers to a troubled period, when tensions between the various powers (comtal, seigniorial, ecclesiastical) were so high that a professional was appointed to administer the town. Until the construction of the town hall and the development of the square to the south, communal power was exercised on the Plan de la Cour. Today, the premises of the Podestats' Palace, like those of the neighboring town hall, are occupied by municipal services. The fortified facade still features crenellations, loopholes, semi-circular windows and a Romanesque porch. To the left of this facade, you can still see the "banc de justice", the stone steps where the county officers took their oaths and swore to respect the town's privileges. In the courtyard, where the buildings were extensively modified when the municipal offices were redeveloped, you can still see the former prison dungeons, and interesting graffiti on the wall facing the porch. The maison commune, forerunner of the town hall, built by the consuls in the 15th century, adjoins the Podestats' palace on the left. Its facade stands out from the previous one, particularly for its large windows with lintels and mullions.
Location
Location
- www.patrimoine.ville-arles.fr
