Hauterives, France: Facteur Cheval was a mild-mannered mailman by day and a wildly inspired pseudo-architect and builder by night. His strange architectural masterpiece, the so-called Perfect Palace (Palais Ideal) took him decades to construct and was finished in the early 1900s.
He had no formal design or construction training and learned as he went, day by day, for over 10,000 days with few people aware of his creation until it was completed.
Created by Ferdinand Cheval, a.k.a. le facteur Cheval
Born 1836, Charmes-sur-l’herbasse, France
Died 1924, Hauterives, France
A four-sided castle made from concrete, lime and wire, located in Hauterives, France. Architectural styles from various time periods and countries–Algiers, China, Northern Europe–are visible in the facade. Work on the Palais Ideál began in 1888, when Cheval retired from the postal service. It took Cheval 34 years to complete. Today the site is visited by over 120,000 people annually.
“Whatever your age, whatever you wish to
achieve, if you are courageous, persistent and
hard-working, you are sure to succeed.”
—Ferdinand Cheval
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