Construction of house 1522 (≈ 1522)
Date engraved on the lintel of the door.
5 mars 1936 et 9 décembre 1936
Protection as Historic Monument
Protection as Historic Monument 5 mars 1936 et 9 décembre 1936 (≈ 1936)
Registration of the façade and chimneys.
13 janvier 2017
Withdrawal of protection
Withdrawal of protection 13 janvier 2017 (≈ 2017)
Order repealing the 1936 entry.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The decrees of 5 March 1936 and 9 December 1936 listing the historical monuments of the façade of the house 20 rue de la Harpe and the two monumental chimneys inside as situated on the plan annexed to the decree are repealed from the inscription by order of 13 January 2017
Origin and history
The house at 20 rue de la Harpe in Riom is an emblematic building of the late Gothic period, built in 1522 as indicated by the coat of arms adorning the lintel of its entrance door. Its façade is distinguished by a series of ground openings, including a window on the first floor and a carefully designed entrance door. These architectural elements reflect the artisanal know-how of the nascent Renaissance in Auvergne, while maintaining marked Gothic features.
Inside, two monumental chimneys, contemporary of construction, testify to the high social status of the occupants of the period. These chimneys, as well as the facade, had initially been protected by decrees of 1936 as Historic Monuments, before being removed from this list in 2017. The building thus illustrates the evolution of the criteria of heritage preservation, while remaining a significant example of the easy urban habitat of Riom in the 16th century.
The location of the house, in the historic center of Riom, then a prosperous city thanks to its judicial and administrative role under the Old Regime, underlines its importance in the urban fabric. Riom, the historic capital of Lower Auvergne, concentrated at this time an elite of robins (magistrates) and merchants, whose homes, like this house, displayed a discreet but affirmed wealth. The building is therefore part of a context where domestic architecture became a marker of power and social prestige.
