Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel d-Albiat, located at 11 Jules-Guesde Street in Clermont-Ferrand, is a historical monument dating back to the 15th century, with major transformations in the 4th quarter of the 16th century. It is also known as the House of Centaurs, with reference to the sculpted mythological figures supporting the armoured shield of the family of Albiat, visible on the staircase door. This decorative element, combined with an arched door in a basket handle decorated with prismatic mouldings, illustrates the architectural refinement of the era.

Access to the inner courtyard is via a corridor leading to a polygonal staircase turret with a screw staircase. The door of this turret, rectangular and surmounted by a third-point arch, has a sculpted tympanum with the arms of the d'Albiat, highlighting the noble belonging of the place. In the east, the courtyard is closed by a 16th century house body, characterized by decorative pilasters, showing Renaissance additions.

Ranked as a Historical Monument by decree of 12 November 1926, the Hotel of Albiat embodies the architectural evolution between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Auvergne. Its alternative name, Maison des Centaurs, and its heraldic elements make it a remarkable example of the Clermontian civil heritage, linked to the history of the d'Albiat family, although few details of this lineage are mentioned in the available sources.

The location of the building, in the centre of Clermont-Ferrand (Department of Puy-de-Dôme), and its relative conservation (precision of location estimated at 6/10 in the Merimée base) make it an accessible site, although the practical information on current visits or uses (rents, guest rooms) is not documented.

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