Banque de France

The Banque de France’s banknote printing plant set up in Chamalières in 1918-1920 just after the First World War. The choice of Chamalières was a result of the influence of Étienne Clémentel, at the time deputy of the Puy-de-Dôme region and minister in Clemenceau’s cabinet. The government wanted to secure(…)

The Banque de France’s banknote printing plant set up in Chamalières in 1918-1920 just after the First World War. The choice of Chamalières was a result of the influence of Étienne Clémentel, at the time deputy of the Puy-de-Dôme region and minister in Clemenceau’s cabinet. The government wanted to secure this plant by locating it far from borders. Banque de France had another site at Vic-le-Comte where the paper for the banknotes was manufactured. The sites at Chamalières and Vic-le-Comte employed 700 people, producing 2.5 billion notes each year. Half of the production was of Euros, and the other half of foreign currencies, mainly from central and West Africa.

Built by the architect Raoul Gignoux, an employee of Banque de France, in an industrial architectural style somewhat typical of northern France or England, the buildings are made from brick and white stone. Aside from the production workshops, the site housed the managers and workers in houses with a garden. Some of them have disappeared. The governor’s villa was built at the corner of Avenue de Royat and Avenue de Montjoly in brick and stone in the 1930s. The construction of the bank staff house, on Avenue de Montjoly, completed the plant’s facilities in 1953-1954.