The house known as "Hotel Philippe le Bel" located rue du Capitain Ménard in Lunel, in Hérault, 27 km north-east of Montpellier, was built in the 13th and 14th centuries.
It is Gothic in style and has a Renaissance facade, the pointed windows of which have a rich sculpted decoration.
It is located in the old center of the city where other civil dwellings from the medieval period have Renaissance facades that have been brought to light and recently enhanced.
As regards this one, which must have been built for a wealthy notable, its name connecting it to King Philippe le Bel is due to the fact that a sculpture represents a character holding fleur-de-lis with his hands. However, it was during the reign of this monarch that Lunel was attached to the kingdom of France (1295). It was also this king who granted the city, at the gates of the Petite Camargue, the monopoly of the sale of salt, which led to the development of a canal connecting it to the neighboring ponds.
The house is protected as a historical monument. It is a private property that cannot be visited but this exceptional façade can be admired during a visit to the historic heart of Lunel. Information on +33 4 67 71 01 37.
