The hotel, located at the corner of rue Roux-Alphéran and rue du 4 Septembre, is steeped in history. For the record, rue du 4 Septembre was the first street opened during the expansion of the district by Archbishop Michel Mazarin. It was then considered the most beautiful street in the new district. The archbishop had given him the name of his metropolitan church: rue Saint-Sauveur. However, the public preferred to call it Rue des Quatre Dauphins, because of the eponymous fountain which adorns its center, located on a small square also called Place des Quatre Dauphins.
But why the Four Dolphins? This square, initially named Place Mazarin, was later renamed Place des Quatre Dauphins. When Archbishop Mazarin had it renovated, he planned to install a statue there in honor of his brother, the famous Cardinal Mazarin. However, after his death, this project was abandoned and the benefits of a fountain were preferred to those of a statue. This is how in 1667, the Fountain of the Four Dolphins was erected, decorated by the architect Jean-Claude Rambot, representing four dolphins surrounding a column, a symbol of strength and protection.
Rue Roux-Alphéran, for its part, is a place rich in history and heritage. Formerly called rue Longue-Saint-Jean, it bears witness to an aristocratic past, marked by the presence of great personalities of the time. One of the most remarkable residences on this street was that of the writer and lord of Fuveau, author of the famous Treatise on Fiefs in Provence (1687). This legal text, of capital importance for the region, helped to consolidate the authority of the nobility over Provençal lands. The father of this author, Sauveur de Peysonnel, was a field marshal and inspector general of the cavalry during the reign of Louis XIV. Nicknamed “the brave Peysonnel”, he left a lasting mark on this street, reinforcing its aristocratic character.