What is this historic building that burned down in Limoges?

With its 43-meter bell tower, its high slate roofs and its richly sculpted facades, the Limoges town hall, burned down on Saturday, was one of the emblematic buildings of public architecture of the Third Republic. Inaugurated on July 14, 1883, it has been registered as a historic monument since January 15, 1975, a protection which concerns its facades, its roofs and the fountain located in front of the building.

Its construction owes a lot to Alfred Fournier, a rich Limoges annuitant who bequeathed his fortune to the city in 1873. The municipality organized a competition in 1877 won by the Parisian architect Charles-Alfred Leclerc (1843-1915), Grand Prix de Rome. The work was undertaken in 1879.

The architect was inspired by the old town hall of Paris, destroyed during the Commune in 1871. His project is in the neo-Renaissance style, mixed with references to Louis XIII architecture, characteristic of the eclecticism of the end of the 19th century. Organized around three buildings, it combines Limousin granite with Poitou limestone. Its facade is decorated with sculptures by Tony Noël and Adolphe-Martial Thabard, as well as medallions representing four Limousin personalities. Inside, the painted decorations were entrusted in particular to Henri-Paul Motte, Jean-Joseph Weerts and Urbain Bourgeois.

In 1893, a monumental fountain combining bronze, granite and ceramic was installed in front of the town hall. It testifies to the place occupied by the arts of fire in the identity of Limoges.

Saturday October 17, following a demonstration against the high cost of living which brought together some 2,000 people, a group of individuals attacked the east wing of city hall and started a fire. The flames quickly spread to the roofs, causing the bell tower and part of the structures to collapse. According to the prefecture, two thirds of the facade has disappeared. Mayor Guillaume Guérin denounces a premeditated attack. The government promised the reconstruction of the building.