Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The villa Anne-Marie, located at 8 rue Albert-London in Vichy, was built in 1902 by the architect Paul Martin, originally from Varennes-sur-Allier. Arrived in Vichy in 1896, Martin had already built a first residence there and opened an architectural firm in 1899. The neo-classical Anne-Marie villa reflects its ambition with a high cost of construction (42,735 francs), much higher than that of its previous residence. Its architecture combines polychrome bricks, limestone, and refined decorative elements such as carved models or geometric stained glass windows.

The villa is distinguished by its adorned facade, its hanging screw staircase, and a circular music lounge with a star parquet floor and a white marble fireplace. The interior details, such as the ground panels and the rock gypseries, bear witness to remarkable craftsmanship. Ranked a historic monument in 1989, it illustrates the rise of the villas of the Belle Époque in Vichy, when the city, renowned for its thermal baths, attracted a bourgeoisie in search of luxurious secondary residences.

The town hall district, where the villa is located, was set up at the beginning of the 20th century to meet this growing demand. Paul Martin, project manager, integrated architectural innovations such as green veneer ceramics or balconies decorated with floral motifs. The villa, now protected, remains an emblematic example of the Vichyssois thermal heritage, mixing residential functionality and eclectic aesthetics.

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