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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Hotel Louis de la Brosse, located in Riom, presents a composite architecture reflecting several epochs. Its present façade, which was redone in the 18th century, has two floors and an attic, with low arch windows. The wrought iron supports of the first floor date from the Louis XV era, while the heights of the windows, standardized in the 18th century, may have been different originally, as evidenced by a still visible support band. A corridor leads to a staircase serving an interior courtyard now extinct, once accessible by a door dated 1598.

At the back of the hotel, a three-span vaulted hall, characteristic of the 15th century, suggests a religious origin. Its prismatic columns and capitals carved of foliage support warheads, formets and doubles. Above this room, remains of frescoes and a 14th-century arch were reported, while below, medieval cellars attest to an older occupation. The masterpiece, dating back to the late 16th century, includes frames of cross-cut berries, typical of the Renaissance.

The building was partially protected by a decree of 20 June 1925, covering notably the 16th century door, the 15th century rooms and a Romanesque crypt. These elements illustrate the evolution of the monument, from its medieval foundations to its transformations of the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The inscription of 1598 and the architectural details (wives, frescoes) underline its historical importance in the riomois heritage.

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