Urbex - The abandoned house of Marie-Odile

We received photos from a traveler and compiled them into a historical summary.

What a stroke of luck to have discovered this house! To say the least, it was unexpected. The context: Anthony Peelhot had a hunch that there might be "a little something" here. After a great day of urbexing, it was already evening. "Shall we go see?" "Let's go see!"

In front of us, a combine harvester had been blocking the road for ages. We were crawling at 10 kilometers per hour. No matter—the weather was beautiful, and we were in good spirits. Then, barriers appeared. The house was fenced off on all sides. This made sense; it is collapsing. The signs of abandonment are undeniable.

On-site, after a quick assessment, we found the house was simply wide open. A full-scale looting had clearly taken place. The interior is striking. It is heavily degraded, yet everything remains frozen in place.

A Legacy of Music and Stone
Each room reveals an extremely high cultural level. References to classical music are everywhere: records, portraits of Beethoven and Brahms, hundreds of books on musicians. There is a whole cabinet of old sheet music—sadly damaged—and a piano as well. At first, we suspected we were in the home of a renowned musician, but it seems we were simply in the company of true melomaniacs.

The Grandparents: Sébastien and Marie The families first met in 1814; the men had served in the army together. Research suggests the house originally came from Marie’s mother, Madeleine. Madeleine was a weaver in a silk mill—an industry originally located in the local castle (it still exists today, but in modern facilities).

Sébastien was a stonecutter. He likely carved the family tomb and the fireplace. The mantelpiece, finely carved from black marble, bears the date 1888. This date remains unexplained as the family settled there earlier; perhaps it marks a renovation or a gift from Sébastien.

Sébastien: 1845 – 1909

Marie: 1846 – 1923

The Parents: Albert and Augusta Sébastien and Marie had two sons, Albert and Edouard. The family vault mentions several stillborn children, though we have no further details. Albert had a brilliant military career during World War I and remained active in veterans' associations throughout his life. He worked as a jeweler—which likely explains why the house was so thoroughly looted.

Albert: 1912 – 1985

Augusta: 1917 – 1982

The Last Occupants: A Bitter End
Albert and Augusta had two daughters, Anne-Marie and Marie-Odile. We know very little about them. Anne-Marie likely lived in the house before moving to the Annecy area. She and Albert are the only ones for whom we found old photographs.

Marie-Odile never married. She worked for many years, with great heart, in a middle and high school library about twenty kilometers away. When she was already quite elderly, she was fired from the establishment abruptly and without an ounce of respect. She suffered deeply from this. She tried to bounce back, notably at the Sacré-Cœur, but under very harsh conditions.

She is buried in the family vault, but her name is not on the stone. The town hall confirmed her presence through the burial deed. The grave is in a state of total neglect.

Anne-Marie: 1942 – 2008

Marie-Odile: 1945 – 2022

The Fate of the House
Based on items found inside—the last advertisements, food expiration dates—the final occupation dates back to the winter of 2006/2007. Perhaps a move to a nursing home? It is highly likely the place was used as a frequent second home for a time.

Given the intense danger the house represents, the town hall has issued a "decree of peril" (arrêté de péril). The structure is made of pisé (rammed earth). The roof is gapped open, and it is no longer watertight. The earth walls are being washed away. One facade has a massive, gaping hole. The house is going to split open and collapse. Given the structural damage visible today, the house is effectively condemned. Renovation is impossible.

Its future? It will collapse soon and be razed. The entire history of this family will be swallowed up. It is evident that the heirs must be overwhelmed by the scale of the necessary work and the fact that the house is being incessantly robbed. As we left, we closed the door, but given the organized looting, it’s a lost cause.

This only strengthens our resolve to keep a bright and living memory of this family.