Le Quartier Villars et son histoire

In the 18th century, the engineer Louis Régemortes built a new bridge
over the Allier River which helped control flooding, thus permitting the
development of the of the left bank area called "La Madeleine" as
cavalry quarters, with the first barracks constructed during the reign of Louis
XV.The barracks were named Villars, in homage to the Maréchal de Villars
who came from Moulins. Construction began in 1770 based on the plans of the
architect Jacques-Denis Antoine in the classical aesthetics of the 18th
century, with a central building flanked by two low wings, with three
staircases leading from the stables on the ground f l oor to the soldiers'
quarters. The buildings, made of sandstone from the nearby Coulandon quarry, display
technical prowess in the masonry and stonework as well as in the flat
"sarrazine" vaulting. Over the years the Quartier Villars housed
diverse army corps, leading to extensive architectural transformations. The
Gendarmerie was the last to occupy the buildings. After its departure in the
mid 20th century the barracks were programmed for destruction. The Quartier
Villars was saved thanks to its classification by the Minister of Culture as a
Historical Monument. It became the Centre national du costume de scène in 1994 which
has been open since 2006.