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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Beaulieu mansion, located in Chamalières in Puy-de-Dôme, is a 16th-century building classified as a Historic Monument since 1942. It consists of two square towers forming forebody, connected to the main body by walls supporting stairs leading to the floors. An inner courtyard, once girded with moat today partially filled, structure the whole. The interior, entirely vaulted, has Louis XIII style decorations, with a dining room decorated with wall paintings. This mansion illustrates the noble residential architecture of the Renaissance in Auvergne, combining defensive and aesthetic functions.

Originally, the manor house was surrounded by a vast garden lined with orchards and poplars, which is now extinct due to the lot's subdivision. The moat, though filled, recalls its semi-fortified character, typical of the seigneurial residences of the time. The inscription in the Historical Monuments in 1942 allowed to preserve its major architectural elements, including the exterior staircases and the inner vaults, witness to its past prestige.

The location of the mansion at 16 rue Anatole France in Chamalières, near Clermont-Ferrand, reflects its anchoring in a territory marked by the influence of local elites in the 16th century. Although the sources do not mention specific characters related to its construction, its style and layout suggest an easy sponsor, anxious to combine modern comfort (decade Louis XIII) and power symbols (turns, moats).

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