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A mystery under Villars townhouse?

The façade | Lsmpascal / CC-BY-SA
Epidemic Town house Villars townhouse

Skeletons!

Do you know they found something amazing, under this house’s soil? The scene took place in 1892: workers, who made a restoration in the house’s hall, found... four skeletons! Pretty well-preserved bones...

People started to find those bodies' identity: they looked for clues in family Villars' archives, in vain...

Finally, they discovered those mysterious last remains were probably victims of the terrible plague epidemic which struck Marseille in 1720!

The house

Also known as "Columns' city house" because of the four elegant columns flanking the entrance, this house belonged to Lois d'Esmivy de Moissac, French audit office’s councillor, who raised it in 1710.

Provence governor Honoré-Armand de Villars (king Louis XIV's famous marshal) gave it his name when he moved here in 1750.

About the the author

Vinaigrette
I'm fond of strolls and History, with juicy and spicy details!