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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Valencia City Hall, inaugurated in 1894, is the work of architects Henri Bertsch-Proust and Paul Bischoff, winners of a competition launched in 1890 to replace an old building. Initially planned on the new boulevards, the project was finally implemented in the old center, in 1 Place de la Liberté, after discussions on its location. Its eclectic architecture, typical of the late 19th century, combines a belfry inspired by Romanesque bell towers, Gothic snout windows, and a roof evoking the glazed tiles of Burgundy. The ground floor, with its openings in the middle, recalls the classical French architecture, while the whole exalts the republican values dear to the Third Republic.

Inside, the monumental staircase leads to the "beautiful floor", where the decorations are inspired by a Middle Ages revisited by Viollet-le-Duc: ceilings with painted caissons, postiche fireplaces, monumental chandeliers, and carved furniture decorated with claws. The wedding and deliberations rooms retain their original murals, mosaics and stained glass. This mix of styles reflects the municipality's ambition to create a place that is both functional and symbolic, embodying administrative modernity and local prestige.

The history of the building is part of a broader movement of urban renewal. As early as the Middle Ages, municipal assemblies met in the Saint John district (Old Valencia), but no dedicated building existed before the 19th century. The work, begun in 1891, was briefly interrupted to choose a more central location. In 2018, City Hall was listed as a historic monument, recognizing its heritage value. An anecdote marks his contemporary history: in 1998, climber Alain Robert, nicknamed Spider-Man, L'escalada in full solo.

Today, the city hall remains the administrative heart of Valencia, Prefecture of Drôme. Five additional town halls, created in the 1990s, decentralize certain services in peripheral areas (Fontbarlettes, Le Plan, etc.). The building, open to the public, bears witness to both the Republican heritage and the urban evolution of the city.

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