Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Confectionery Aux Marocaines, located at 33 rue Georges-Clemenceau in Vichy, was founded in 1860 by Amable Bureau. Originally located at 181 rue de Nîmes (present-day rue Georges-Clemenceau), she was created to celebrate the birth of her daughter in 1868. When he died, his daughter and son-in-law, Antoine Prunière, took up the case and gave him the name Confisery General. The interior, of Second Empire style, probably dates from this period, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the doors.

In 1902, the confectionery was sold to Henri Martin, a confectioner from Nevers, who introduced a variant of the Negus, a local candy: Le Marocaine, a mellow caramel with coffee or chocolate coated with iced sugar. This name pays tribute to North African clientele frequented in Vichy, a renowned spa. The recipe, still made today, became the emblem of the sign, which then took the name Aux Marocaines.

In 1929, Alfred Luthy, a Swiss chocolate maker, bought the confectionery and introduced Le Marocaine in 1933. He had the façade redone in an Art Deco style, characteristic of the establishment today. In 1944, water damage partially damaged the ceiling with dragonflies. Since 1990, the façade, the front and the interior (including the three counters) have been listed as historical monuments. Since 1992, Valérie and Patrick Diot have been the owners.

Confectionery is one of the few testimonies, along with the pharmacy of the Park, of the thermal golden age of Vichy under the Second Empire. Its interior decor, preserved, and its emblematic specialty make it a heritage and gastronomic place still active.

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