Hôtel de ville, ancien hôtel de Brancas-Cheilus

English translation

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History

The town hall occupies the former private mansion of the de Cheilus family. It became a public building in part from 1741, and in full since 1973 by the purchase of the south wing which had remained private until then. The essence of the building dates from the mid-17th century. The construction of the main elements dates from the 1650s (grand staircase, central block, north wing, wall and gateway of the courtyard of honour). Older elements are preserved in the south wing (cellars, walled openings, masonry elevations) and at the north-east angle. Between the courtyard of honour and gardens, the mansion is built on a U-shaped plan, extended to the south-west by an additional building aligned with the wing. It comprises vaulted cellars. Several state rooms have retained their decoration. The great salon or Bancas room offers a ceiling with exposed beams and joists painted with garlands in grisaille, as well as a frieze alternating landscapes within trompe-l'oeil frames and statues also in trompe-l'oeil, directly inspired by a collection of engravings representing antiquities from Roman collections, published in 1638 by painter François Perrier. In the council room, which retains decoration with mythological scenes, the walls were hung with Cordovan leather during a recent restoration. Beneath the render of the walls of a staircase arranged in the 18th century at the end of the north wing, appeared a decoration of masks, of busts of women in medallions, of garlands and rinceaux in ochre grisaille, from the mid-17th century. In the south-west wing is preserved a stuccoed decoration of a bay of a former chapel, dated 1790.