Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Aurillac Gendarmerie was designed as part of a comprehensive project including a courthouse and a prison, launched in 1846 to replace premises deemed obsolete. A first plan was proposed in 1847, followed by a second in 1849 by architect Théophile Carriat, responsible for the departmental buildings of the Cantal. The works, carried out between 1850 and 1855, gave rise to buildings inspired by the classic cannons of the 17th and 18th centuries, with a rectangular organization where the gendarmerie and the prison formed the wings of the palace.

The architectural complex is distinguished by a garden bordering the main facades, bounded by a wall and a gate, while a protruding porch marks the entrance. The gendarmerie court is surrounded by buildings for residential, service or utility use. This complex illustrates a desire to modernize judicial and police infrastructure under the Second Empire, while perpetuating a traditional style.

The facades and roofs of the gendarmerie were inscribed in historical monuments by order of 4 May 1984, recognizing their heritage value. The courthouse, built later (1865-1872), adopted a more antiquisant style, contrasting with the classical austerity of the other two buildings. Today, the site remains a testimony of 19th century judicial urban planning in Auvergne.

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