Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bagatelle villa was commissioned in 1899 by Pierre Juppet, a Lyon industrialist who founded Saint-Raphaël aperitifs, and designed by architect Pierre Curieux. Built between 1899 and 1901, it embodies the opulence of the bourgeoisie of the Belle Époque, combining Art Nouveau, Orientalist and 18th styles in its interiors (mosaic, woodwork, stained glass). The estate, acquired in 1892 for 15,000 francs, replaced old buildings dating from the 16th century, once owned by the Carmagnacs and then by the annuitant Jean-Pierre Rouher.

The garden, built between 1901 and 1910 by Lyon landscapers Gabriel II Luizet and Antoine Barret, is a rare and preserved example of "Lyonnais gardens". It combines winding traffic, rocks, water points and factories (minaret, greenhouse, orangery), illustrating the influence of English parks and the golden age of local nurseryists. The communes, partially built on a plot purchased in 1901, housed utility areas ( stables, laundry) and recreation (playroom, library), reflecting the functional duality of the estate.

Pierre Juppet, although mainly resident in Paris (Hôtel particulier du quartier Monceau), used Bagatelle as a secondary residence in 1906. The architect Pierre Curieux, then seven-year-old, applied an eclectic style, after having worked on projects such as the castle of Narcel (Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon) or the Hotel Terminus (present-day Château-Perrache) for the company PLM. The materials and decoration of the communes, although more modest, testify to an aesthetic research consistent with the villa.

The estate changed ownership in 1963 with Robert Chauvin, CEO of the Aguettant laboratory. Partially classified in 2009 (façades, roofs, garden), the villa was the subject of a restoration campaign in 2020 to transform the Grand House into guest rooms. The park, occasionally opened during Heritage Days (as in 2020), retains its original layout, including elements such as minaret or orange groves.

The history of the site dates back to the 16th century, with vineyards operated by the Carmagnac until 1835. The 1822 cadastre attests to earlier buildings, destroyed before Juppet acquired them. An exchange of parcels with the town of Irigny in 1902 made it possible to correct the route of the Carmagnac coast, facilitating the development of the communes. The Luizet-Barret archives, active until 1975, reveal that Bagatelle is one of the 466 Rhodanian gardens documented by these dynasties of nurseryists.

External links