This is a palace he built entirely on his own. What's unique is that he was a postman. He apparently let his imagination run wild with the pictures on postcards, delivering mail on foot every day.
He lived in his own solitary world, and though treated as an eccentric, he remained true to his dreams.
This palace was so fresh and striking that it captured the hearts of Surrealists, led by André Breton.
In 1969, this Ideal Palace was registered as a cultural property by André Malraux, the French Minister of Culture.
While it appears to be a grand palace, it is surprisingly modest up close. However, the details are meticulously crafted, with messages carved everywhere.
This microcosm, blending various styles, can be enjoyed from every angle.
It transcends the notion of a garden; there are no plants. Yet, eternally unfading flora, rendered in stone and cement, breathe life into this space, twisting time. Did Cheval truly achieve his ideal palace? One can only be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his imagination.

Cheval's Ideal Palace
http://www.facteurcheval.com/