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Origin and history

The house known as the Princes of Monaco in Vic-sur-Cère is an urban mansion built in the 15th century, located in the town of Vic-sur-Cère, in the Cantal. This modest building, of architecture, was associated with the princes of Monaco in 1643, when the Viscounty of Carlat was erected in Carladez County in their favour. He then served as a seat on the senate floor of Vic, where lower justice was rendered in the name of the Count of Carladez, while the superior justice remained royal and was exercised in the neighboring bailiff.

Originally, this mansion was too rustic to accommodate princes and was mainly used to house the officers or magistrates governing the county for the Grimaldi. It also housed the provost's audience and archives. Its architecture, including the tower of staircase with screws in volcanic breach and the flamboyant Gothic tympanum adorned with an annunciade, dates from the end of the 15th century, after the confiscation of the Viscounty by Louis XI. Changes were made in the 17th century, such as reshaping windows and adding a house body.

The manor plot was once larger, including several adjacent houses and a garden. Sold as a national property in 1792, it was acquired by Jean Revel, attorney of the bailiff of Vic, who held it until 1811. Today, only the stair turret has been listed as a historic monument since 1921, while the wings and an interior room with its 17th century fireplace and panelling have been listed since 1934 and 1990.

Visiting the inside of the tower is not possible, but a virtual tour allows you to discover its volcanic breach staircase and its history. The building reflects the political and judicial changes in the region, including the dismemberment of Carlat's Viscount and the integration of its territories into the royal and seigneurial justice system.

Historical sources, such as Carlat Viscount Documents (1900) and local archives, confirm its central role in local government. The mansion also illustrates the civil architecture of the late Middle Ages and the early modern era, with Gothic elements and later classical developments.

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