The postman, a stone and the palace built single handedly

IF you are ever south of Lyon, in the Drôme region, why not drop in on the palace a postman built, stone by stone?

Ferdinand Cheval began building the Palais Ideale in 1879 after stumbling upon a stone during one of his post rounds, that lit a creative passion deep within.

That stone led to a 33-year building project that saw the postman slowly build up a magical palace featuring wild animals as well as giants, fairies, mythological figures all twisted around architecture from many continents.

Working after his postal round, often by oil lamp, Ferdinand Cheval brought stones and pebbles he had collected in his wheelbarrow to his project and slowly over the years created a palace that was eventually classified an Historical Monument 45 years after his death…