Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Claude Augé house, located in the town hall square at L'Isle-Jourdain in Gers, was built between 1903 and 1905. It embodies the bourgeois architecture of the early twentieth century, combining pseudo-classical influences and Art Nouveau decorations. Its facade is distinguished by geminated bays, a central loggia emphasized by a baluster balcony, and mouldings decorated with vegetal motifs, staples, figures of children and stylized capitals in artichokes. One of the doors gives access to an inner courtyard, on the floor, by a glazed balcony, while the interior reveals a secondary staircase with wooden ramp and exotic or vegetal stained glass windows, including two representations of the Semeuse, an emblem of Larousse.

This residence was the residence of Claude Augé (1854–1924), a teacher from L'Isle-Jourdain and director of Larousse editions from 1885 to 1920. In particular, he created the emblem of the publishing house, the Semeuse, symbolizing the spread of knowledge. Ranked a historic monument in 1992, the house now belongs to the commune and opens to the public at specific events. Its interior preserves remarkable elements such as a hexagonal zenithal window illuminating the large staircase, Art Nouveau wallpapers, and a troubadour-style fireplace in the living room.

The building illustrates the architectural heritage linked to the rise of publishing and education in France at the Belle Époque. Its eclectic decor, combining classicism and modernity, reflects the tastes of a cultivated bourgeoisie, while its preservation bears witness to the local attachment to this key character of French cultural history. The interior stained glass, mosaics and ironwork emphasize the care given to aesthetics, typical of the affluent residences of the period.

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