ClasséChâteau · protected 1998Château de La Palice (également sur commune de Saint-Prix)Part of the building is protectedPhoto: Sabrina bl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Château de La Palice (également sur commune de Saint-Prix) · Photo: Sabrina bl · CC BY-SA 4.02historic monuments
History of Lapalisse · Monuments historiques
2 historic monuments and a protected historic area since 2006
The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Lapalisse: 1 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 1 inscrit (the second level). The oldest date from the 12th century. Lapalisse’s first monument was protected in 1932.
Monuments historiques
2
Classé
1
the highest protection
Inscrit
1
the second level
Oldest part
12th c.
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
13%
median compared town 7.4%
Protected area
Lapalisse has had a protected historic area since 2006
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR84-12 | ZPPAUP February 16, 2006 | ZPPAUP (heritage zone rules) February 16, 2006 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Map
Where Lapalisse’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscrit
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
2 monuments by protection
1 Classé1 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
One classé monument in Lapalisse
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 1 of the 1 is protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
Inscrit
One inscrit monument in Lapalisse
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
House · protected 1932Maison dite Hostellerie du Puits de l'ImagePart of the building is protected
Age of homes
13% of homes in Lapalisse were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
13%
Before 1919
18%
1919–45
27%
1946–70
28%
1971–90
8.6%
1991–2005
5.9%
2006 on
LapalisseMedian compared French town
13% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished between 1971 and 1990 than in any other period (28%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
3 people born in Lapalisse before 1900
Their lives on one line.
Ferdinand Desbrest
Jeanne Labourbe
Émile Bourdon
1800182518501875190019251950
JL
Jeanne Labourbe1877–1919 · French politician
ÉB
Émile Bourdon1884–1974 · French organist and composer
FD
Ferdinand Desbrest1838–1914 · French politician
Everyone born in Lapalisse Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Lapalisse
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lapalisse | 3,138 | 2 | 1 | Yes |
| Saint-Germain-des-Fossés | 3,579 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Creuzier-le-Vieux | 3,205 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Cusset | 13,316 | 7 | 2 | — |
| Varennes-sur-Allier | 3,549 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Vichy | 25,115 | 51 | 4 | Yes |
| Abrest | 2,915 | 2 | 0 | — |
In brief
Lapalisse in brief
Lapalisse’s oldest monument, Château de La Palice (également sur commune de Saint-Prix), dates from the 12th century. In all there are 2 historic monuments, 1 of them classé, including Château de La Palice (également sur commune de Saint-Prix). Its housing is old: 13% of homes date from before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Part of it has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2006. Jeanne Labourbe (1877), Émile Bourdon (1884) and Ferdinand Desbrest (1838) were all born here before 1900. Otherwise the figures are ordinary: it has 2 historic monuments, about typical for a town its size (the middle one has 1); and the list grew between 1932 and 1998.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Lapalisse
How many historic monuments are there in Lapalisse?
The Culture ministry lists 2 historic monuments in Lapalisse: 1 classé and 1 inscrit.
Which monuments in Lapalisse are classé?
One: Château de La Palice (également sur commune de Saint-Prix).
Is Lapalisse a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Lapalisse has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2006.
How old are the homes in Lapalisse?
13% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.