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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Puy-de-Dôme Prefecture Hotel, located at Desaix Boulevard in Clermont-Ferrand, replaces premises deemed unhealthy at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1910, Prefect Almand Elisha Becq denounced the working conditions of departmental staff, where 15 employees died in 20 years due to unsanitary conditions. This situation led to the organization of an architectural competition reserved for professionals from Puy-de-Dôme, won in 1913 by François Clermont, already author of the Hôtel de la Société des Ingénieurs des Mines in Saint-Étienne. Work began in May 1914 after plans were validated between October and December 1913.

The building was inaugurated on 7 July 1923 by Alexandre Millerand, President of the Republic, during the celebrations of the tricentenary of Blaise Pascal. Its neo-classical style and interior decoration, such as Louis Dussour's (1949) fresco depicting illustrious auvergnant figures, make it a symbol of local heritage. In 1931 a controversy broke out around an aborted project by Maurice Busset, who was to paint the battle of Gergau in the stairwell. Partly inscribed in historical monuments in 1991, the prefecture retains remarkable elements, such as the General Council's deliberations room, with its furniture and its neo-Renaissance decor intact.

Prior to its construction, the prefecture had occupied since 1800 the buildings of the former convent of the Cordeliers, built several times (1791–1793, 1804, 1848). The architect Mallay had added a large staircase and a colonnade façade in 1848. The new building, designed by François Clermont and decorated with sculptures by Paul Graf, marks a break with these successive developments, offering modern premises adapted to the administrative needs of the department. Its inauguration coincides with a period of valorisation of the Auvergnat heritage, illustrated by frescoes celebrating local history.

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