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Origin and history

The La Dentelle au Foyer building is part of the early 20th-century age of the upper-Loire lace industry. In June 1905, an incentive and charitable society, La Dentelle au Foyer, was founded to structure this prosperous sector and train artisans. This social and educational project led to the construction of a large building between 1908 and 1910, designed by architect Achille Proy. The building is intended to house a school of advanced training for apprentices in the teeth, and it embodies the alliance between industrial utility and artistic ambition.

The building, rectangular plan flanked by two low wings, forms a closed courtyard separated from the street by a wall. Its southern entrance is decorated with stained glass made by Charles Borie, while the Council Chamber, on the ground floor, features allegorical paintings by Joseph Bernard celebrating lace. These decorative elements, integrated into architecture, underline the educational and symbolic vocation of the building. Inscribed in historical monuments by order of 9 June 1992, he protects his stairwell, his stained glass windows, and the decorations of the museum hall.

The creation of La Dentelle au Foyer reflects a pivotal period when local craftsmanship, confronted with mechanization, seeks to preserve its excellence through training. The building thus becomes a symbol of Velay's cultural and economic resistance, while at the same time demonstrating the commitment of local actors — architects, artists and industrialists — to valuing ancestral know-how. Today, it remains an emblematic place of the Tellier identity of Puy-en-Velay.

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