Hôtel de Felzins

The entrance comprises a monumental gate surmounted with numerous sculptures, including monstruous beings and marble inlays.

This ensemble corresponds to the then-new style known today as mannerism, whose principal traits are an abundance of sculpted figures, the depiction of a fantastic bestiary, and a marked taste for relief and polychromatic interplays.

[1] The turret of the second courtyard gave rise to some erudite ornamentation: magnificently sculpted putti play with a floral garland, symbolizing abundance and fertility.

The sculptor took for model a fireplace of Château de Madrid (a royal castle near Paris) designed by Girolamo della Robbia for king Francis I.

Combining the virtues of Christianity, politics and intellect, the sculpture of the fireplace commissioned by Gaspard Molinier reflected the aspirations of the erstwhile consellor to the king.