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Origin and history

The Vaux barracks, built in the 3rd quarter of the 18th century in Montbrison, was an imposing military building designed to house troops. The archives describe a symmetrical rectangular building with four corner pavilions, two parallel stables, and an enclosure with scalables. The monumental gate, flanked by guard bodies, and the roofs in tiles (creuses or in scales) reflected its architectural importance. The old postcards reveal five levels, nine facade spans, and details such as the bay segmental arches.

The construction was ordered by the Council of State in 1729, at the initiative of Pierre de Masso de la Ferriere (Royal Commander) and Pierre Poulletier (Intendant of Lyon), to replace five houses and expropriated lands near the Moingt Gate. The plans, drawn up by engineer André-Nicolas Deville in November 1729, were awarded to Jean-François Grangé. The works, begun in 1731, were completed in 1742, with subsequent interventions such as the layout of the gate (1733-1734) by Joseph-Ferdinand Chazaux. After Grangé's death in 1738, Pierre Grangé and Chazaux took over.

By 1744 the barracks housed regiments, such as the battalion of the Poitou, but was abandoned before 1791, briefly transformed into a ribbon factory. Reoccupied in 1802, it required sanitation (channel built by 1,600 Spanish prisoners in 1809) because of its unsanitary nature. In the 19th century, plans for expansion began, and it hosted the 16th Infantry Regiment until its dissolution in 1923. Assailed to the city in 1979, it was destroyed in 1980, retaining only the gate, the guard corps and a scald, classified as Historical Monuments.

Today, parking is located in the former barracks, lined with modern buildings. The vestiges restored in 1984 (portal and scald) recall its military past. Its architecture, typical of the 18th century royal barracks, illustrates the military planning of the Old Regime, marked by symmetry and functionality. The archives also underline its role in local life, between military logistics and civilian adaptations (manufacture, gendarmerie).

The materials used, such as stone for ornaments or roof tiles, reflect the construction techniques of the time. The recurring problems of unsanitaryness, documented in 1831, reveal the health challenges of pre-industrial barracks. Finally, its destruction in 1980, despite its partial ranking, testifies to the trade-offs between heritage and urban modernization in the 1970s and 1980s.

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