Construction of distillery 1873 (≈ 1873)
Edited by Jules and Charles Lacaux.
1885
Acquisition of a stationery
Acquisition of a stationery 1885 (≈ 1885)
Diversification to Bosmie-l.
1963
Extension of offices
Extension of offices 1963 (≈ 1963)
Expansion for stationery.
2012
Site assignment
Site assignment 2012 (≈ 2012)
Sale to a real estate developer.
4 février 2020
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 4 février 2020 (≈ 2020)
Definitive protection of the building and garden.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total, the house Lacaux with the right-of-way of the garden located 6 impasse Saint-Exupéry on Parcel No. 176, shown in the cadastre section DT, as shown in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 4 February 2020
Key figures
Jules Lacaux - Co-founder of the distillery
Sponsor of the house in 1873.
Charles Lacaux - Co-founder and industrial
Diversified to stationery in 1885.
Origin and history
Lacaux House is an iconic building in Limoges, built in 1873 by Jules and Charles Lacaux to house their distillery. At the time, it produced bitter drinks and elixirs, including one based on coca, making it one of the most important in the city. The activity ceased after World War I, marking the end of this flourishing industrial period for the site.
In 1885, the Lacaux family turned to the stationery, acquiring a factory in Bosmie-l-Aiguille. The distillery was then converted into administrative offices for this new activity. In 1963 extensions were added, and in 1972 a second production unit was opened in Lisieux. The site remained the registered office until its disposal in 2012, threatened by a real estate project.
Saved by a court decision in 2013-2014, the building and its garden were finally listed as historic monuments on February 4, 2020. Its architecture, combining elements of the 16th-17th centuries (portal in basket cove, galleries with Corinthian columns) and traces of its industrial past, makes it a unique testimony to the economic and heritage history of Limoges.
The facade on street, remote after an alignment of 1775, hides an inner courtyard with three superimposed galleries. The wrought iron balustrades of the first two levels, adorned with volutes, contrast with the wooden upper gallery. These details, protected since 1974, underline the artistic value of the place, today preserved despite urban pressures.
