The Suchet room in Can Papiol. The Louis XVI Style in the Catalan Well-off Bedrooms from end of the 18th Century until its Musealization

Abstract

The current Suchet bedroom in the Can Papiol house is the result of the traditional belief that French general Louis Gabriel Suchet stayed at the great manor of the Papiol family in Vilanova i la Geltrú during the Spanish War of Independence. However, there is no documentation that allows us to confirm whether or not he stayed at Can Papiol. The supposed chamber of the general allows us to analyse and understand how and why the Louis XVI style was used in Vilanova and applied, precisely, in the bedroom destined to host the supposed stay of the general. On the other hand, the documentation of the Papiol archive has brought relevant information on the original distribution of the house through unprecedented plans from the mid 19th century, an 1817 inventory, the family accounts and the receipts of the craftsmen who worked in the manor during its construction and its later maintenance.