Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Chamerlat, built in the second half of the eighteenth century in Riom, illustrates the civil architecture of this period by its external austerity contrasting with an interior decor reserved for apartments. The main façade is distinguished by a triangular pediment pierced by an oculus, while the windows on the first floor feature wrought iron grilles and characteristic 18th-century supports. These exterior elements reflect the sober but elegant style of the mansions of the time.

In the 19th century, the interior underwent notable changes with the addition of restoration-style woodwork and neo-Gothic staffs, partially altering the original decor. Some rooms have lost their panels, gypseries or tapestries, but the large living room retains a rare marquetry parquet and a ceiling decorated with gypseries. These transformations reflect the evolution of decorative tastes between the two centuries, mixing classical heritage and romantic influences.

The elements protected by the inscription of the Historic Monuments in 1988 include the facades, roofs, wrought iron grilles of the courtyard, a stone fountain, as well as the interior staircase with its wrought iron ramp and the living room on the first floor. These protections highlight the heritage value of the building, both for its architecture and for its preserved interior decorations, despite the 19th century renovations.

The location of the hotel, at 12 Gilbert-Romme Street in Riom (Puy-de-Dôme), makes it a witness to the urban planning of this city of Auvergne, marked by its administrative and judicial past. The building, although partially modified, remains a representative example of provincial private hotels, where classical rigour is associated with subsequent more eclectic additions.

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