A to Z
April (2022) Blogging Challenge
Hello, dear
readers!
I’d like to
thank you all in advance for stopping by, and I hope that at least a few on my
list of remarkable buildings pique your interest as they did mine.
“Design is not a coincidence or a
formula, it is a result of human reflection and vision in response to a
specific challenge.” ~ Unknown
I
Ideal
Palace
Hauterives, France
What began as a small collection of interesting stones along
a postman’s daily route, (1879-1912) soon became Postman Cheval’s thirty-three-year
mission to single-handedly construct an Ideal Palace for he and his wife. The results of his efforts surpassed
expectations in this monument to nature and lasting tribute to sheer
determination. Numerous inscriptions (inside and out) share insight into his
thoughts throughout construction. A number of tools, including his faithful
wheelbarrow, are displayed within. He called it his “companion in suffering.”
While not involved in any artistic movement, its admired by Surrealists and recognized as a major work of art. Without any formal education, the Ideal Palace is considered an extraordinary example of Naive Architecture. The Ideal Palace was classified as an historical monument in 1969.
I’d stop in, if I was ever in the neighborhood. Would you?
