I say to you: “France!”… What do you feel? Romantics of Paris, fashion, graceful Frenchwomen, insane flavor of pastry-shops, Louvre, Versailles… What if it’s gonna be different?
France is rich of other architecture sights, the pearl is the perfect Cheval Palace.
Could you imagine a palace made of a postman, not graduated, without any skills required? This way you need to get to the town Oterive which is the Drome department.
What is the palace like? What is it made of?
If you imagine a huge construction worthy of the great architects, then you will be disappointed. The palace of postman Cheval is made of little pebbles placed in the right order; it has been rejoices visitors for many generations.
Perfect Palace of Cheval Perfect Palace of Cheval Perfect Palace of Cheval
How? What? Why?
To make such a masterpiece you need a push, a tough one. What was the push of a postman? Perhaps a stranger walking in the street inspired him by chance? Or the idea came while he was reading a book? Or observing a painting? Let’s figure it out together!
It was 1858. A mailman Ferdinand, aged 32, was a calm family guy, a reliable husband; his wife and he, together they moved to a small village Hauterive. The postman had an important mission: delivering corresponds. The transport wasn’t developed much the hero of this story had to pass dozens of km everyday on his own, resting where he’s lucky to. No one cared HOW the mail was delivered. Everybody did about the result.
One day he was running very fast to deliver news, he stumbled over a small stone and he fell. Instead of getting angry he took the stone and brought it home and there, at home, he examining it. A bright catchy object attracted from the first minute.
This pebble seems to become the foundation for a huge building. The postman started sending mail with a cart where he also put some interesting stones.
1888 was the year his active working with building a palace started. 33 years Cheval was making a masterpiece where all the styles mixed and so did any directions ever known and turned to a composition of cement, wire and stone.
To this day the palace petrifies with a wonderful view and the smart decisions made. You definitely worth it come here to get inspired with the history of an ordinary postman who did the great thing.
