College Foundation 1579 (≈ 1579)
Created by Gilbert de Léon, Duke of Ventadour.
1635
Sale to consuls
Sale to consuls 1635 (≈ 1635)
Installation of ducal justice by the Duke.
1791
Closure of college
Closure of college 1791 (≈ 1791)
End of educational use of the building.
1825
Proposal for assignment
Proposal for assignment 1825 (≈ 1825)
City offers the building for sub-prefecture.
1884
Purchase by the municipality
Purchase by the municipality 1884 (≈ 1884)
Becomes permanent municipal property.
1963
Historic Monument Protection
Historic Monument Protection 1963 (≈ 1963)
Registration of the door and window.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Door and window of the 16th century (Box I 283 to 285): inscription by decree of 28 October 1963
Key figures
Gilbert de Léon - Duke of Ventadour
Founded the college in 1579 in the building.
Duc de Ventadour (non nommé en 1635) - Initial owner in 1635
Sells the building to Ussel consuls.
Origin and history
The building of Ussel, built in the sixteenth century, embodies a Renaissance architectural heritage marked by a pilaster and pediment door, surmounted by a characteristic cross. His institutional history began in 1635, when the Duke of Ventadour gave him to the consuls of the city to establish the ducal justice. This multipurpose building then houses various functions, reflecting the political and social developments in the region.
Founded in 1579 by Gilbert de Léon, Duke of Ventadour, a college settled there and occupied it until 1791. The French Revolution marked a turning point: the civil court sat there in turn, before the city proposed in 1825 to transfer the sub-prefecture to it. Municipal purchase in 1884 seals its local anchor. The elements protected since 1963 — door and window of the 16th century — bear witness to its heritage importance.
The location of the building at 7 Carnot Avenue and its status as communal property underline its central role in the urban history of Ussel. Its evolution, from ducal justice to education and administration, illustrates the changes in public buildings in France between the Ancien Régime and the contemporary era.
