Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Forget Hotel is a private hotel located in the Saved Area of Riom, in the Puy-de-Dôme. Its primitive nucleus dates back to the 2nd quarter of the 13th century, as evidenced by a frame dated by dendrochronology (wood felled in 1238 or 1239), decorated with 224 painted panels of which 67 remain. These sets, on a blue or red background, represent heraldic motifs, fantastic beings, animals and geometric shapes. Two unidentified armored ecus suggest non-local origin. The initial destination of the building remains unknown, but it was on the edge of the ecclesial nucleus of Saint-Amable Abbey, near the urban extension launched in 1241 by Alphonse de Poitiers, which made Riom the administrative capital of the Land of Auvergne.

In the 17th century, the hotel belonged to Paul Forget, adviser to the Presidial of Riom and a local Protestant figure. He undertook important work: doubling the width of the building, replacing the medieval stairway with an hors-oeuvre staircase, and vertical division of the large upstairs room to create apartments. The facade on the street was later rebuilt, probably in the 18th century. These transformations almost completely erase the original provisions, with the exception of the primitive frame and a column window in the southern gable.

The hotel preserves major medieval remains, especially in the back house (archive and frame punches of the 13th century, taken over in the 16th century). The present interior decoration dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, with stuccos in the large living room and alcove rooms. The painted frame, classified as Historic Monument in 2006 with facades and roofs, is a rare testimony of secular medieval art. The rest of the house, including lounges and rooms, has been registered since 2003.

The building illustrates the riomoese architectural evolution of the Middle Ages — where Riom became a political center under Alphonse de Poitiers — in modern times, marked by the rise of the robe bourgeoisie (like the Forget). His painted decoration, with various influences, still questions his original sponsor, perhaps linked to an aristocratic or ecclesiastical non-local circle. Today, the Forget Hotel remains an emblematic example of the medieval civil heritage in Auvergne.

External links