BERINGUIER MAYNIER HOTEL DIT DU VIEUX RAISIN

Built in 1516 for Béringuier Maynier, Italian art lover, lawyer, law Professor and a Capitoul, Hôtel du Vieux Raisin is one of the most beautiful mansions in Toulouse located on the outskirts of the parliamentary neighbourhood. It owes its name to a nearby tavern which had a sign representing a bunch of grapes. The richness of its stone decoration is an example of Renaissance art with significant influences from antiquity: A spiral staircase housed in a tower adorned with medallions exhibiting busts. Redesigned in 1547 for Jean Brunet, the clerk of the court, the architect Nicolas Bachelier designed bay windows with caryatids on the courtyard façades, a true Manneristic period masterpiece.