65 paintings are exhibited in the round tower of the Hôtel de Saunal, a Renaissance merchant hotel located a stone's throw from the Sainte-Cécile cathedral and the cloister of the Saint-Salvi collegiate church. The Albigensian painter Raphaël CORDOBA devoted 25 years of his life to paying homage to the greatest painters in history from the XNUMXth century to the XNUMXth century.
An unexpected journey through time
The visit is guided by Catherine CORDOBA, the painter's daughter, it lasts 45 minutes. It welcomes you to the inner courtyard of the Hotel de Saunal and leads you into the XNUMXth century tower to discover the famous works of Bruegel, Dürer, Botticelli, Van Gogh, Dali, Toulouse-Lautrec, Ingres, Leonardo da Vinci. Little wink from the artist, under each canvas, Raphael Cordoba made the red chalk self-portraits of each painter and presents their biography and the place where the original can be seen.
Explanatory sheets translated into English, Italian, Spanish also allow a detailed visit.
The Hôtel de Saunal, a private mansion
A little history …. The Hôtel de Saunal is one of the pastel hotels of Vieil Alby. This beautiful building was the home of Simon Saunal, a wealthy 4th century pastel merchant, whose family became famous in the pastel trade but also in hats, leather, wool and salt. This respected man was consul of the city of Albi less than XNUMX times. The two Saunal daughters married the two Reynes sons, thus uniting the destiny of two great Albigensian families. From the street you can see the watchtower which dominates the roofs. This architectural element, a symbol of social success, is present in manyhotels of Albigensian Renaissance pastel merchants.
Pratical information
| Opening hours from January 02 to December 31, 2024 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Open |
| Tuesday | Open |
| Wednesday | Open |
| Thursday | Open |
| Friday | Open |
| Saturday | Open |
| Sunday | Open |
Visiting hours: 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 14 p.m., 15 p.m., 16 p.m., 17 p.m.
