You are on rue de Bernis, in front of the Hôtel de Bernis, one of the oldest mansions in Nîmes. It was the family home of Cardinal de Bernis, whose tomb is in the nearby cathedral. The street façade dates from the fifteenth century. Look at its mullioned windows, those stone crosses dividing the openings, typical of the late Middle Ages. On the ground floor, a rounded vault once sheltered a medieval shop. Behind the façade lies a seventeenth-century courtyard, with arcades and a well, inspired by the Arena. Its façades were reworked under Louis the Thirteenth in the style of the Temple of Diana: the windows there are topped with triangular and curved pediments. The mansion has been listed as a historic monument since 1999. Its courtyard can be discovered on the themed tours offered by the tourist office. From the street, take the time to read this Gothic façade, a rare witness to the city of the fifteenth century.
History
The façades of the mansion date from the fifteenth century and the ground floor was remodelled in the seventeenth century. The courtyard façades were reworked during the reign of Louis the Thirteenth. It was the family home of Cardinal de Bernis. The building has been listed as a historic monument since 1999.
Art and architecture
The fifteenth-century street façade has mullioned windows. The courtyard façade is in late Gothic style, reworked in the manner of the Temple of Diana: its windows are topped with triangular and curved pediments. The seventeenth-century courtyard, with arcades and a well, is inspired by the Arena.
Anecdotes
On the ground level, a rounded vault sheltered a medieval shop. Cardinal de Bernis, from this family, rests in the third south chapel of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Castor, a few minutes’ walk away.
What to look for
From the street, look at the mullioned windows and the rounded vault of the former shop. If you get into the courtyard on a guided tour, compare the arcades with those of the Arena, and the window pediments with those of the Temple of Diana.
Practical
The mansion is at 3 and 5 rue de Bernis, in the Écusson, near the place du Marché. The courtyard can be visited on tours offered by the tourist office; find out more at nimes-tourisme.com or on 04 66 58 38 00.
Nearby
The place du Marché and its crocodile fountain are very close. Then head to the cathedral to see the tomb of Cardinal de Bernis, and on to the Temple of Diana, in the Jardins de la Fontaine, which inspired the courtyard façades.
On site, look for: Count the mullioned windows on the street façade.
Test yourself
Which century does the street façade date from?
- 15th century (answer)
- 19th century
- 1st century
Which monument inspired the courtyard façades?
- The Pont du Gard
- The Temple of Diana (answer)
- The Tour Magne
Whose family home was it?
- Cardinal de Bernis (answer)
- Jean Nicot
- Martial Raysse
Sources
- Wikipedia: Hôtel de Bernis
- Nîmes Tourisme: Hôtel de Bernis
- Wikipedia: Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Castor de Nîmes
Information checked on 6 October 2026.