Second enlargement 1910-1911 (≈ 1911)
Additional workshop in the villa.
15 septembre 2022
Historical Monument
Historical Monument 15 septembre 2022 (≈ 2022)
Registration of the property in full.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Besnard property, in its entirety, comprising the villa, the "Bungalow" pavilion and the park surrounding it with the port of acostatage, located 130 chemin du Quoex, including the parcels on which they are located, No. 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, appearing in the cadastre section AH: inscription by order of 15 September 2022
Key figures
Albert Besnard - Painter and sponsor
Owner, oversees construction and decoration.
Charlotte Besnard - Sculptor
Author of the cariatids of the loggia.
Louis Ruphy - Architect
Designs the villa and its enlargements.
Origin and history
Villa Besnard, located in Talloires-Montmin in Haute-Savoie, is a property built between the 3rd quarter of the 19th century and the 1st quarter of the 20th century. It consists of a dwelling house and a pavilion (" bungalow"), both facing north-south, with a view of the mountain and the lake. The main house, built by the lake, reflects the successive expansions commissioned by Albert Besnard. Its architecture combines a rectangular body with Italian-style terraces, a recessed housing block decorated with cariatides carved by Charlotte Besnard, and a rectangular tower at their intersection. The roofs are covered with scale tiles, typical of the region.
Designed in 1888 for painter Albert Besnard and his wife Charlotte, a sculptor, the villa became a place of creation and intellectual encounters. Besnard himself oversees the construction, entrusted to the architect Louis Ruphy, as well as interior design and gardens, integrating elements inspired by his travels and local crafts. The family actively participates in the decoration. A first expansion in 1889 added a bungalow-sculpture workshop, followed in 1910-1911 by a second workshop in the villa.
The property, classified as a Historic Monument in 2022, includes the villa, bungalow, park and a dockhouse. It illustrates the alliance between the bourgeois art of living of the period, artistic inspiration and Savoyard architectural heritage. The interior and exterior decorations, partly made by the Besnard family, bear witness to their creativity and their networks in French cultural circles.
The exact address, 130 chemin du Quoex, and its lake setting make it an emblematic site of Talloires-Montmin, linked to the artistic history of Haute-Savoie. The accuracy of its location is considered satisfactory a priori, although not perfect, according to available sources.
