GILBERT TALBOURDEAU, Décors de la chambre de la tour de l’est, env. 1910, Fonds Clément-Evêché, Archives Départementale de l’Allier

Western tower, room 8

This room is the last to have been fitted in the 1990s. It complies with its original function, that of a bedroom and a living room, which is confirmed by the presence of a chimney.

Look at the monumental chimney. The consoles present a classical style (quarter-circles, cavettos, mouldings). It sits opposite the window frame, fitted with two window seats (coussièges).

The false-stone decoration on lime rendering is in a better condition in this room. Note that the latter looked even more colourful and decorated than that on the ground floor, combining once again red, yellow and blue. The voussoirs were also painted, but this time the three colours alternated.

Like downstairs, red and yellow strips framed the jack-arches, and each section of the vault presented friezes and simply designed red stars.

In the window frame, « the ceiling was brightened up by a red and yellow ochre border all around. An elegant frieze (a decor of palmettes in fact) decorates the lintel which, like everything else within this room architecture, painted or sculpted decoration, bears a XIIIth c. style. » (Barbier de Montault)

Finally, note that three of the figures on which the crocket consoles rest look down, in a sign of humility or prudishness, or both. Only one of them stares at the bed, the naughty boy!

 © March 2023

G. Talbourdeau, decor of a rib in this room
Gélis-Didot, the ceiling of the window frame
Talbourdeau, frieze from the vault (still visible today above you)
Other frieze
Arms of Mathilde I of Bourbon and Gui of Dampierre (late XIIth century).
Robert of Clermont’s arms (late XIIIth c.), escutcheon of the dukes of Bourbon until it was simplified to three fleurs-de-lis in the 1410s/1420s.