Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house Girard is a bourgeois house built between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, located in Bas-en-Basset, in the department of Haute-Loire (region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). Its architecture reflects the easy lifestyle of its owners, typical of the provincial elites of the time. The building is uniquely decorated with an exceptional interior: a panoramic wallpaper depicting the Ruins of Rome, produced between 1800 and 1810, mixing geometric motifs, animated scenes and ancient monuments on a background of cloudy sky.

Ranked a historic monument by decree of 21 December 2010 to preserve this unique heritage, the house was finally declassified on 25 April 2017 due to its state of advanced decay. The wallpapers, threatened by the deterioration of the building, were saved thanks to a donation to the commune, allowing them to be dropped off and restored. Their romantic iconography, inspired by the Roman Forum, illustrates the taste of the era for antiques and picturesque travels.

The administrative history of the monument reveals the challenges of preserving the private heritage. After its decommissioning, the house lost its protected status, but the remarkable furniture elements (wallpapers) were preserved separately. Their artistic and historical value lies in their rarity and quality of execution, reflecting the manufacturing techniques and decorative trends of the early 19th century.

Located at 1 avenue (or boulevard) on the Sablière, the Girard house today embodies a fragile heritage, whose memory is now based on saved fragments. His case highlighted the importance of protection mechanisms adapted to private property, as well as the need to reconcile preservation with economic viability for owners.

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