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Before the Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche town hall was built in 1901, the city council was spread across several buildings. That is why in 1897, during a heated debate and following a petition, the city council decided to build a town hall on the site referred to as “du Pré Boussaud”. This central and strategic location helped build a bridge between the various neighbourhoods and create a link between the upper and lower city.
The department’s official architect, Lemasson, was chosen to complete this project, which reflected the rules of civic architecture of the late 19th century. The structure and its park are part of a programme to improve the city and urbanise the neighbourhood; the project focuses on administrative and public buildings.
Sculptures of the city’s former coat of arms, dating back to the 18th century, can be found in the centre of the building. The city’s current logo comes from the Art Deco earthenware medallions that are located below the first-floor windows and that display the intertwined initials of Saint-Yrieix.
In 2000, the town hall was fully renovated. A glass lift was installed on the ground floor, and the woodwork in the wedding hall and council chamber on the upper floor was restored.
A large lithophane called “The Awakening of Persephone” can be found inside the building and symbolises the return of the Greek goddess from the kingdom of the dead and the rebirth of spring. Ordered and acquired in 2015, the unique artwork was moulded from very fine porcelain.
