In the heart of Riom, in the Marthuret quarter, An 18th-century townhouse with a vast roof terrace - ref 781573
In the heart of Riom, in the Marthuret quarter, An 18th-century townhouse with a vast roof terrace.
To the north-east of the Puy-de-Dôme, Riom - once capital of the duchy of Auvergne and today a sub-prefecture - has preserved a strong architectural identity through the many "hôtels particuliers" or townhouses built between the 16th and 18th centuries, the Tour de l'Horloge, formerly the town's belfry, and the Sainte-Chapelle in the Flamboyant Gothic style. Dark volcanic Volvic stone set against light-coloured render gives the streetscape its distinctive character. A dynamic town, sustained in part by the presence of the Hermès manufactory and a dense economic fabric, Riom is easily accessible by road via the A71 motorway and by rail on the Paris-Clermont-Ferrand line. Services, shops and amenities are within walking distance. Clermont-Ferrand is 15 km away.
Within a conservation area, at the end of a quiet street, the townhouse occupies a small commonhold. Its design is attributed to Claude-François Legay (1728-1803), architect to the town; the building, though constructed in the 18th century, appears to rest on earlier, probably medieval, foundations. Organised around an interior courtyard, the main house features a small overhanging balcony at its centre. At the uppermost level, a roof terrace of some 75 m² is a rare find in this historic urban setting.
The main houseFour levels of rubble stone, rendered in ochre lime wash, are articulated by Volvic stone stringcourses. The entrance door has a double lintel surmounted by an arched cornice and wrought-iron tympanum. On the first and second levels, cast-iron balustrades with curved sills on discreet conical corbels frame the Volvic stone window surrounds, treated as chamfered flat arches with segmental profiles. The facade as a whole is faithful to the Riom domestic architecture of the 18th century.
The ground floor
The vaulted corridor leads to the courtyard and to a groin-vaulted room, the ribs springing from Volvic stone piers. To the left, the first section of the house retains its 18th-century ornamentation: foliate mouldings and stucco, Louis XV-style volutes, pine strip flooring. The principal bedroom has a monumental marble fireplace with fluted Louis XV pilasters, fitted wardrobes with carved mouldings and a shell-ornamented niche. It connects to a private shower room of contemporary construction. A second corridor leads to a further bedroom, more intimate in scale, with a stone fireplace. Two double doors give access to a fitted cellar with a pozzolana floor.
The first floor
At the top of the spiral staircase, the kitchen is contemporary, combining timber and granite. A door with carved mouldings opens into the dining room, with a French-style beamed ceiling and a bar area. The drawing room, with chevron parquet, extends the reception sequence. At its centre, a Volvic stone fireplace - its trumeau carved with a flower and foliage motifs - houses a wood-burning stove. Beyond, the library, also with a French-style beamed ceiling, leads to a bedroom with fireplace and cupboards and a balcony overlooking the courtyard. A contemporary bathroom with walk-in shower and twin basins, a lavatory, a storage area and a boiler-utility room complete the level.
The second floor
Accessible by both the spiral staircase and a secondary staircase from the sleeping area, this level comprises three bedrooms with recent parquet flooring, two with French-style beamed ceilings, and a bathroom and lavatory. A conservatory with fireplace and fountain opens onto a large landscaped roof terrace with a tiled floor, timber benches and planted troughs of bamboo, palms, bleeding heart, crape myrtle, roses, honeysuckle and camellias.The garageLocated close to the townhouse, ...
