Le Palais Idéal de Ferdinand Cheval
ByKate Dannies
Ferdinand Cheval is our hero. Not only did he make manifest his vision for an ideal palace, but he did it all while working as a humble postman and later gained acclaim from contemporaries such as Pablo Picasso and Anais Nin. Cheval’s palais idéal remains standing to this day in Hauterives in southeastern France, attracting visitors and architecture devotees from far and wide.
Cheval started construction in 1879 after being inspired by the form of a rock that he tripped over while making his rounds. In his autobiography, he wrote that the form of the palace came to him in his dreams. The palace was created over 33 years and is now considered a classic example of naïve art architecture. Cheval spent the first 20 years working on the outer protective wall, collecting stones in a wheelbarrow and working on construction in his free time, often late into the night by the light of an oil lamp.
The resulting structure measures 26 by 14 metres. The palace’s architecture reflects influences from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and European and North African architecture. Intricate motifs featuring delicately carved flora and fauna, romantic flourishes and strong lines make the palace highly decorative. From different angles, it looks alternately like a French castle, a Hindu temple, and a medieval fortress. The structure was completed using only stone, lime and wire.
Cheval’s original poetry is carved into the walls of the palace, a hint of the deep creative inner life he experienced. One of the lines reads, “In creating this rock, I wanted to prove what the will can do.” Mission accomplished!
In addition to his palace, Cheval also built himself an intricate mausoleum, where he was buried upon his death in 1924. The palace was made a cultural landmark in 1969, and Cheval was featured on a French postage stamp in 1986, a fitting tribute to his humble origins and creative genius.
Cheval’s stunning palace is an inspiration to luxury lovers worldwide: with effort and passion, your dreams can be made manifest and touch the lives of others. Who knew that an architectural genius resided within the façade of a French postman? Proof that talent can be found in the most unexpected of places, and our inspiration for continuing our hunt for the best of architectural innovation around the world.
