A day at Cahors

Iconic monument of Cahors, the Valentré bridge was built from 1308 on the initiative of the consuls of the city.

Entirely built in cut stone, it comprises 8 arches and 3 towers, the latter culminating at more than 40 meters above water level.

Completed around 1380, it was always maintained. In 1998, the bridge was registered by UNESCO on the list of the world inheritance under the ways of Santiago de Compostela.

The little devil that you can look for on the central tower recalls the legend of this superb bridge.

Discover the history and secrets of the Valentré bridge

Near the Valentré Bridge, the old Cabazat pumping station, built in the XNUMXth century, has retained its original machinery. It is converted into an interpretation space on Cahors and his country.
It hosts permanent and temporary exhibitions related to the theme of water.

The remains of a Gallo-Roman amphitheater from the XNUMXst century are hidden under the Fénelon alleys.
Oval-shaped, 110m long and 90m wide, part of it is visible to the public on the 1st floor of the Amphitheater car park.
They were discovered in 2007 during the construction of the car park.

This house located at the corner of rue Fondue Haute and rue de la halle now houses the heritage house.

This residence is a very good example of the stylistic evolution of Caduran architecture over the centuries.

Its ground floor opens onto the street via 3 vast brick arcades, dating from the XNUMXth century, while the two upper floors are adorned with large carved windows characteristic of the end of the XNUMXth century.

Finally, the last level retains mirandes under the attic from the XNUMXth century.

The two-storey house

Like all of the South of France in the Middle Ages, in the cities and towns of the territory, the two-storey house became widespread and the program of the multi-purpose house dominated. That is to say that the same building brings together professional, residential and social representation functions.

Each level corresponds to a function. The amply pierced ground floor opens directly onto the street and can accommodate a craftsman, a merchant, etc. ; it is used for sale, storage (a function that the attic can also hold), production... It is often equipped with a mezzanine which increases the areas that can be converted. Stone or wooden stalls can be set up in the opening of the bay. The ground floor level is occupied by the owners or rented out, sometimes even sold.

The first level, or noble floor, is served by a staircase independently of the ground floor and accommodates the owner's accommodation. This level is largely lit from the street by a series of bays (most frequently twin bays with small columns) whose succession can form a skylight.

The Windows

The most beautiful windows are fitted in the street facade; their quality testifying to the fortune of the owner. The twin bays of the XNUMXth / XNUMXth centuries, the shape of which comes from a “Romanesque” tradition, were followed in the XNUMXth century by the openings with tracery decorated with ornate stone networks. The latter are reserved for the wealthiest residences, most often those of the aristocracy. From the XNUMXth century, large square windows – called cross or mullioned – appeared, the opening of which was divided into four parts by stone crosspieces.

The medieval street

In the organization of the medieval house, the role of the relationship with the street is decisive. Economic exchanges take place directly with the street (shopkeepers' stalls, for example). The closeness of the link with the street is also due to the mode of access to the floor, which is most often from the public road.

On the scale of the street, the succession of arcades reflects the commercial or exchange functions that take place there, testifying to the vitality of the urban centers of Quercy in the Middle Ages.

This monumental ball-bearing clock can be observed for long minutes before understanding its workings.
Designed by Michel Zachariou, it required two years of work and was donated to the city of Cahors in 1997.

In all, 54 pinballs weighing 80 grams each keep the clock ticking.

According to its designer, it can last forever as long as it is maintained.

In 1661, this 15th century building was bought by the family of François Roaldès, a famous jurist and professor at the University of Cahors.

The decoration deployed at the level of its openings (doors and windows) is characteristic of the stylistic renewal that appeared in Quercy sculpture in the 15th century: motifs of blooming roses, stripped sticks, flamboyant suns, etc. First used for religious buildings, these decorations then spread to private residences, such as the Hôtel d'Alamand, rue du Portail Alban, or the Hôtel de Roaldès.

We also know this building under the name of "Maison Henri IV" because King Henri IV would have stayed there during the wars of religion.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela, Saint-Étienne Cathedral arouses interest with its domes characteristic of Romanesque art in south-west France, its Sainte Coiffe - Relics of the shroud of Christ - and its cloister.

900 years old, it also serves as a majestic setting for the traditional weekly market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, which brings together local producers of Quercy fruit and vegetables, goat cheese and other delicacies.

As for the nearby XNUMXth century hall, it offers the permanent spectacle of Lotoise gastronomy.

The Rue Nationale, Rue de la Chantrerie, Rue de la Daurade, Rue du Château-du-Roi and Rue des Soubirous offer a representative sample of the medieval houses of Cahors.

The house at 12, rue Daurade is one of the oldest half-timbered houses in the south of France.

The Jean XXII Tower is the only vestige of the palace inhabited by Pierre Duèze, the brother of Pope Jean XXII, a native of Cahors.

Jacques Duèze, born in 1244 in Cahors, came from a wealthy middle-class family in Cahors. He was elected pope in 1316, under the name of John XXII.

34 meters high, the tower is pierced by 5 floors of twin windows.

The devotion to Divona increases after the foundation of the Roman city. The most impressive vestige in elevation is a large masonry arcade, incorrectly called the “Arc de Diane”: it is in fact an arch located inside the frigidarium, the cold room of the public baths.

A well-preserved line of fortifications was built during the Hundred Years War to secure the isthmus of the peninsula. Almost totally preserved over a length of 400 meters, the enclosure, which has been raised several times, is punctuated by the Saint-Michel gate and several square section towers, such as the powder magazine. Beyond the railway line, the wall extends into the plain of Pal by curtain walls flanked by a XNUMXth century brick tower. and a XNUMXth century artillery tower.

Beyond the district of La Barre, the northern wall begins, to the east, with a large tower open to the gorge, the St-Jean tower, sometimes nicknamed tower of the hanged. Nearby is a XNUMXth century guardhouse, improperly called the Barbican, whose walls are pierced with numerous arquebusiers. This advanced fortification served as an access to the city.
Indeed, during the Hundred Years War against the English, the inhabitants of Cahors had to build a new rampart in the North (the Barbican), in order to protect the numerous dwellings and the monasteries.

Discover the most emblematic monuments of the history and heritage of Cahors. From the remains of the amphitheater to the Saint-Étienne cathedral, from the arcades of shops to the Renaissance windows of merchants' houses, immerse yourself according to the comments of the tour guide in the great hours of the history of our city (the Pont Valentré n' is not included in this course).

Let's go!