Fire badly damages Limoges's historic town hall during French protests

Limoges Town Hall, a neo-Renaissance civic building by French architect Charles-Alfred Leclerc, was badly damaged in an arson attack on 17 October, Dezeen reports. Completed in 1883 and listed as a historical monument in 1975, it had stood for 143 years. Videos filmed by people nearby showed its slate roofs ablaze and its central bell tower collapsing.

The fire came during a weekend of protests across France, when an estimated 550,000 people took to the streets over the rising cost of living and poor conditions in schools. Some demonstrations turned violent: hundreds of shops were looted and around 2,400 people were arrested. Other buildings were also set alight, including a tourist office in Lyon.

According to the BBC, officials have not yet confirmed what state the building is in, or whether the rest of it is at risk of collapse. The mayor of Limoges has called for a "Notre-Dame plan" to restore it, a nod to the Paris cathedral that burned in 2019 and reopened in 2024 after five years of work, its lost spire rebuilt as a replica of the 1859 original.

This is news rather than a visit. If the town hall was on your Limoges list, check its condition before you go, and keep an eye out for word on how its restoration will be handled.

Our summary of a story from Dezeen, published 19 October 2026. Read the original

Photos: Dezeen