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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The former Café le Sevastopol, located in Papon-Lagrave Square in Granges-sur-Lot (Lot-et-Garonne), was built in 1856 for Étienne Pasquier, a former Crimean war soldier. The building housed on the ground floor a ballroom and, on the first floor, a café decorated with 18 wall paintings illustrating scenes of the Crimean war, historical characters and local landscapes. A Masonic inscription under the cornice ("To L(a) G(loire) D(u) G(rand) A(rchitect) D(e) L('universe)") suggests a link with Freemasonry.

The paintings, made in the wetness around 1856, alternate between military representations (such as the taking of a Russian flag by a zouave) and civilian scenes (local hunters, 16th–15th century characters). After the fall of Napoleon III, some pro-imperial frescoes were hidden under wallpaper, avoiding their destruction. Their recent rediscovery revealed a unique popular decor, perhaps attributed to a painter named Messina, also active at the Café de la Paix in Bruch.

Ranked a historic monument in 1998 for its hall and painted decorations, the building bears witness to 19th century social circles, mixing military life, freemasonry and local culture. The identity of the painter remains uncertain, but the ensemble offers a rare example of narrative decor linked to a contemporary conflict of his creation. The partial destruction of a wall resulted in the loss of some paintings, including scenes of fighting between French and Russians.

The facade, sober and symmetrical, has three levels with architectural elements typical of the 19th century (arcs in the middle, balusters, adorned cornice). The café, which is now closed, retains a reinforced panel under the frescoes, while traces of decorations remain in an adjacent day well, evoking infantry fighting.

The site is part of the regional heritage as a place of memory both intimate (masonic lodges) and public (ballroom, cafe), reflecting the social and political networks of the time. Its Masonic inscription, taken over from a house in Saint-Sardos, highlights links between buildings and secret communities in Lot-et-Garonne.

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