IDEAL PALACE OF THE HORSE FACTOR

Here you are in front of a surprising building, which does not meet any artistic standard and has no equivalent in France or in the world. In the middle of a luxuriant garden stands this building that is difficult to describe, enthroned in the middle of an extravagant universe. It is a unique monument, fascinating for some, grotesque for others; one thing is sure, the Ideal Palace leaves no one indifferent!

It took 33 years for its creator to build this site in the heart of the village of Hauterives, 50 km from Valence. The palace, built from 1879 to 1912, has been listed as a historical monument since 1969. It was André Malraux, then Minister of Culture, who supported the classification procedure before his departure from the government, causing a wave of indignation among purists and an outcry from his colleagues in the ministry. However, Malraux did not reverse his decision, which he justified by stating that the Palais Idéal was the only representation of naive architecture in France, and that it would be unthinkable not to protect it. It is thanks to his determination that the Ideal Palace could be maintained and restored, and that it is today in an excellent state of conservation.

With a length of 26 m and a height of 12 m, the Ideal Palace is the work of one man, Joseph Ferdinand Cheval. It was during one of his rounds that this rural letter carrier with an overflowing imagination stumbled upon a stone with an incongruous shape, which became the starting point of this crazy project. He brought it home and then noticed the presence of other stones with curious shapes, which he began to collect during his rounds. Inspired by nature and what it is capable of producing, he dreams of being a modeler and decides to build the palace of his dreams in his vegetable garden. Although he never left his small village in the Drôme, the letter carrier Cheval had several sources of inspiration for the construction of his palace, starting with the postcards he carried every day, on which the greatest monuments were represented. Illustrated magazines, which were developing at this time, also fed his imagination. Struck by numerous tragedies throughout his life, orphaned at a very young age and having seen his two wives and three of his children leave before him, this mailman with a very fertile imagination put all his energy into the realization of this work for 33 years. Stone after stone, year after year, Ferdinand Cheval built an offbeat edifice that seemed to come straight out of a dream. He assembles the pieces, most often stones picked up here and there, with cement, lime, mortar and metal armatures. He models fantastic characters, builds facades, galleries, caves, temples and alcoves. The mixture of styles and references is characteristic of naive architecture, which does not know many examples in the world. Dazzlingly extravagant, the palace exudes magic and is an object of pleasure.

Among the highlights of the Ideal Palace is the western facade, which is decorated with miniature architectural works of art from all over the world. A Hindu temple, a mosque, a Swiss chalet and a castle can be admired side by side. On the eastern façade, where the letter carrier Cheval began his work, the eye is lost in the details of the Temple of Nature. A fountain, called the Source of Life, shows a succession of waterfalls decorated with shells. Not far from there is an Egyptian tomb, in which he had expressed the wish to be buried with his wife, which was refused. Three giants, representing Vercingetorix, Caesar and Archimedes, complete the decor. As for the northern façade, it is decorated with caves populated with multiple animals. The building is, in all its most atypical aspects, a tribute to nature. The stone with which it all began, which he called the stumbling block, has found its final place on a pedestal on the terrace of the west façade. Everywhere, the walls of the building are covered with plaques on which quotations, sometimes philosophical, have been engraved, which one takes pleasure in discovering: "A benevolent genius pulled me out of nothingness", "From a dream I brought out the queen of the world" or "Life is a swift steed. My thought will live with this rock". The most striking one summarizes the monumental work accomplished by the "facteur Cheval", and challenges the visitor: "1879-1912, 10 thousand days, 93 thousand hours, 33 years of trials. More stubborn than I am will get to work".

The place is ideal for spending a pleasant moment with the family: children love it and adults find their childish soul there! A visit to the Ideal Palace is a treat, a moment out of time. In short, a source of inspiration and delight for all! Guided tours of one hour are organized. If you are visiting on your own, please allow at least one hour. Poets, dreamers and other curious people will certainly spend a little more time there, lost in the contemplation of this place that does not meet any standard. The site also includes a museum, which looks back at the unusual history of this letter carrier, his sources of inspiration and the many tributes that have been made to him.