Palais Ideal (the "Ideal Palace"), created by late French postman Ferdinand Cheval.

With twisted stonework, exotic-looking statues and breathtaking flights of the imagination, it would not look out of place in the hot climes of southeast Asia or in a surrealist painting.

But this is not India or Cambodia but southeast France and this extraordinary edifice was not dreamt up by an ancient mystic or Salvador Dali but over a century ago by a humble French provincial postman.

The "Ideal Palace" was created by Ferdinand Cheval, known as Facteur Cheval (Postman Cheval), in his home town of Hauterives south of the city of Lyon.

A child runs to visit the Palais Ideal (the "Ideal Palace").

'Saved from ruin'

But its survival is in no small part due to the novelist Andre Malraux, who exactly half a century ago won protection for the Ideal Palace as a historical monument while serving as culture minister.

Malraux defied experts at the time, who denounced the edifice as hideous, to bestow the protection on the Ideal Palace on September 23, 1969.

The ideal Palace was built in 33 years by Facteur Cheval, a self-taught visionary.

"It is this idea that this man, who was very poor, built himself a palace, the perfect palace," he added.

Cheval spent the next seven years sculpting his own tomb, another wildly ornate structure, where he is buried. Legros said it was "his masterpiece".

It was classified as a Historic Monument 50 years ago by Andre Malraux, then French Culture Minister.

'A total mixture'

The Ideal Palace contains representations of a mosque, a Hindu temple and a mediaeval castle.

It has sculptures portraying figures like the Gallic King Vercingetorix, Roman Emperor Julius Caesar or Greek inventor Archimedes.

The Ideal Palace contains representations of a mosque, a Hindu temple and a mediaeval castle.

"It is true that it is a total mixture without any superiority of one culture over another. Everything is mixed and everything is made equal," said Legros.

'Never saw them'

Cheval, who proudly described himself as a peasant and the son of a peasant, had of course never seen an elephant or a leopard in real life, still less travelled to see oriental temples.

A self-taught visionary, Cheval drew his inspiration from postcards or illustrated magazines.

The fame of the monument grew even during Cheval's lifetime.

Pablo Picasso visited the palace with fellow artist Dora Maar, with whom he had a years-long relationship, and his friend the poet Paul Eluard.

Agence France-Presse