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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Court of Accounts of the Dukes of Bourbon, located in Moulins in the Allier department, is a 15th century building integrated with the urban fabric. According to local tradition, it was founded in 1374 by Louis II de Bourbon as a judicial and financial institution of the Duchy. Today, only one room remains, transformed into a shed, after fires in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.

The building is distinguished by its facade overlooking a garden and a dead end, while its adjoining walls are integrated with nearby buildings. Inside, a large rectangular room has two dogive vaulted spans, separated by a double arch. The veins rest on six cloves carved of foliage, including those in the centre, formerly decorated with coats of arms hammered during the Revolution. The vault keys, spared, still carry the arms of the Bourbons.

Ranked a historic monument in 1986, this piece reflects the administrative importance of the Duchy of Bourbon. Its decor, although partially altered, illustrates late Gothic art and the prestige of the Dukes. The chimney kept on the back wall recalls its past use as a working room or audience.

The building, now closed to the public, remains a symbol of the Bourbon heritage. Its listing in the inventory of historical monuments highlights its architectural and memorial value, linked to the institutional history of the region before its attachment to the Crown of France.

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