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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The house-farm known as Chabrand House, located in Ceillac in the Hautes-Alpes, is a historic monument classified since 1991. Built in the 19th century, it illustrates Alpine rural architecture by its combined use of masonry and larch wood. The building consists of three distinct modules: a vaulted stable surmounted by a barn-fenil, a box (small room) with a fern (bread oven) and a room-close, as well as three superimposed traffic galleries. The vaulted space in cradle, an extension of the stable, served as a winter stay for the inhabitants, reflecting an ingenious adaptation to local climatic rigors.

The lintel of the main door bears a partially erased inscription: "Worship God, honor the IHS, respect the Loy, W Ioseph 1(7?)50", suggesting a religious or moral dimension associated with construction. The walls of the barn are partly composed of a stack of larch barrels, while the gables are barred with boards of the same wood. The staircase leading to the first floor, mostly masonry, ends with wooden steps, and access to the second floor is by a milling ladder, typical of the rural amenities of the period.

The house, now decommissioned and in poor condition, bears traces of fire. Its present state contrasts with its central historical role in the agricultural and domestic life of Ceillac. The structure thus combines utilitarian elements (stable, barn, oven) and living spaces, demonstrating a spatial organization optimized for the needs of an Alpine peasant family in the 19th century.

The protection of the monument by decree in 1991 underlines its heritage importance, although its location is considered "passable" (note 5/10) in terms of accuracy. The Chabrand house, owned by the commune, remains a valuable vestige of the constructive traditions and lifestyle of the Hautes-Alpes before the industrial era.

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