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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Jerphanion-Cambacérès hotel, located in Puy-en-Velay, is the result of the transformation of two 16th century buildings, acquired in 1720 by Jean de Jerphanion, escuyer and trustee of the Velay. The latter undertook an almost complete overhaul of the building, merging a house with a garden in the north and a house with a stable in the south. The architecture reflects a mixture of eras: the vaulted cellars in a broken cradle and a monumental fireplace testify to the sixteenth century, while the interior decorations, such as the Louis XIV gypseries or the golden wrought iron staircase, illustrate the influences of the eighteenth century, including the Regency style.

In 1871 the hotel was sold to Count Chaulne, who brought additional decorations. Acquired in 1901 by the hospices, the building underwent modifications that partially altered its original appearance. Among the preserved elements, the dining room is distinguished by its blue and white woodwork and its plant gypseries, typical of the Louis XIV style. The west façade, vestibule, stairwell and dining room have been listed as historic monuments since 1987, while the other facades and roofs are listed on the same date.

The building forms an irregular quadrilateral with two forebodys connected by a balcony-terrace overlooking the gardens. Inside, the large apartments, organized as a thread along the terrace, lost much of their original decor, with the exception of the dining room. The hotel embodies a provincial example of the Regency style, then in vogue in Paris, adapted to local particularities. Its history reflects the social and architectural transformations of the Haute-Loire between the 16th and 18th centuries.

The protected elements include the west facade, the vestibule with its stairwell adorned with a wrought iron ramp, and the dining room with its woodwork and gypsum shops. These protections, formalized by decree in 1987, underline the heritage value of a building marked by successive renovations, from its initial construction to its modern uses, to its aristocratic climax in the eighteenth century.

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