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Origin and history

The villa Le Chalay, located in Mauzun in Puy-de-Dôme, was built between 1863 and 1875 for Joseph Marie Noyer, a surveyor. Its design is directly inspired by the one designed by Noyer for the house of Ferdinand de Lesseps in Ismailia (Egypt), built during the Suez Canal works. The two buildings share a similar structure: a central body with raised ground floor, lateral forebody, and an almost identical inner organization, with the exception of a reversal of the plan and decorative details (simple coating in Mauzun against bicolor in Egypt).

The villa is distinguished by its Management style interior decoration, especially in the large living room, dating back to the 1880s. Despite some minor improvements in the 20th century, it retained its original appearance, unlike the later raised house of Ismailia. The materials used include coated masonry walls, brick and stone frames, and an initial hollow tile cover, replaced by slate. The property, including the garden and fence, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1996.

Joseph Marie Noyer, sponsor and designer of the villa, was a surveyor whose work in Egypt for the Suez Canal influenced this project. The villa, also known as the Bonnieux house (named after a later owner), illustrates the transfer of a colonial architectural model to metropolitan France. Its state of conservation makes it a rare testimony of this period, mixing local heritage and Oriental inspiration.

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