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Origin and history

The Maison de Villemonteix is a mansion built mainly between the late eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. The main building, made of limestone and sandstone, consists of two rooms on the raised ground floor, six rooms on the floors, and a straight staircase leading to a vaulted basement. The outbuildings, including a barn-stable, a shed, a wooden dovecote, and a wooden hangar with a pea wall, reflect a typical agricultural organization of the time. The porch, consisting of half a doric column drum, appears to have been added after the initial construction.

At the end of the 18th century, the estate belonged to Gilbert Bidon, seigneur of Villemonteix and adviser to the presidial of Riom. When he died in 1795, he was passed on to his son, Pierre-Amable Bidon, who, after his return from emigration in 1801, undertook restoration and beautification work. A poet and publicist, Pierre-Amable Bidon published works such as Hymne at the Riom mission (1818) and Princess Faridondon (1820). Although he had little residence there, he became involved in local life, financing projects such as the construction of the cemetery in 1837. The estate was managed by his valet Michel Biesse, called a geometer in parish documents.

The work of the early 19th century will include interior decorations (stukes, wallpapers, furniture), architectural modifications (openings, central staircase), and the development of gardens with basins and pavilions. However, Pierre-Amable Bidon, disillusioned, asked before his death in 1839 that the basins be filled and the pavilions destroyed. At his death, the estate was divided: an agricultural part and a wing of the house returned to Michel Biesse, while the house and its furniture were bequeathed to his niece, Zoe of the Hospital. She sold her share in 1847 to a local peasant family, the Fervels, who lived there until recently.

The house, probably dating in part from the seventeenth century, retained its original structure despite some additions such as the porch and the refurbishing of the staircase. In 1860 the Fervels, without agricultural premises, built a barn to complete their operation. Since then, the master house has undergone few modifications. The estate, now divided into two properties, retains protected elements such as interior decorations (woodhouses, fireplaces, wallpapers) and the hydraulic system of the garden (fontaine, well, basin), inscribed in the Historical Monuments since 1998.

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