Figeac is a commune, sub-prefecture of the Lot department in the Occitania region, France (Massif Central).
It is also located on the Causse de Gramat, the largest of the four Quercy Causses.
Exposed to an altered oceanic climate, it is drained by the Célé, the Drauzou, the Planioles and various other small streams. The commune boasts a remarkable natural heritage, with five zones of ecological, faunistic and floristic interest.
The commune is the center of the Figeac urban area, with a population of 26,200, and of the Communauté de communes Grand-Figeac, with a population of just over 43,560. It is also the commune-center of the catchment area and the administrative center of the Figeac arrondissement, as well as the centralizing office for the various cantons. Along with Cahors and Pradines, Figeac is one of the department’s three urban communes.
In summer, the town is one of the most visited in the Occitania region, and has earned it the “Grand Site d’Occitanie,” “French Impact” and “ville d’art et d’histoire” labels. Figeac has been awarded the Croix de Guerre with vermeil star, and the town is often listed as one of Les Plus Beaux Détours de France.
Figeac is also home to the Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT), a university technology institute with several large buildings in the hills above the town.
Figeac is on the via Podiensis, a major hiking medieval pilgrimage trail which is part of the Way of St. James.
Main attractions
Figeac, which has preserved its medieval layout and winding streets and classified as a town of art and history, has been recognized by the Midi-Pyrénées Regional Council as one of the 18 Grands Sites Occitanie.
Religious heritage
- Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Pitié de Figeac, part of the Saint-Sauveur church, was listed as a historic monument in 1840.
- Figeac hospital chapel.
- Saint-Dau church in Ceint-d’Eau.
- Saint-Sauveur Church was listed as a historic monument in 1840. This church, a remnant of the abbey that joined Cluny at the end of the 11th century, was consecrated in 1092; Saint Hugues was its abbot. Although it has undergone many changes over the centuries, either as a result of embellishments or damage caused by the Hundred Years’ War or the Wars of Religion, it has, nevertheless, retained its proud appearance.
- Carmelite Church. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1993. Twelve paintings of the apostles are listed in the Palissy database.
- Carmes Church. Formerly the Église Saint-Thomas, this is the town’s smallest church. Located near the hospital at the entrance to Figeac, it is the last remaining trace of the Carmelite convent that once stood here.
- Notre-Dame-du-Puy Church. The building was listed as a historic monument in 1916. Several objects are listed in the Palissy database. It is aptly named, as it dominates the whole of Figeac, on the Place du Foirail. Originally a Romanesque church, it was altered several times, notably in the 14th and 17th centuries, when the three central bays were joined to form one. The choir contains fine, carved, Romanesque capitals and a large carved walnut altarpiece, dated 1696. It was the seat of a Saint-Jacques brotherhood.
Civil architecture
Medieval houses
- Hôtel du Viguier du Roi or La Viguerie, rue Delzens, a building dating from the 14th and 18th centuries, was built during the reign of Philippe IV Le Bel. It was the former residence of the viguier (a kind of prefect in medieval times), and its emblematic royal tower overlooks the medieval city. Restored in the early 1990s, it has been transformed into an upmarket hotel.
- Maison du Griffon, place Champollion was listed as a historic monument in 1996, and was built between the early 11th and early 13th centuries, depending on the source. It is the oldest house in the town that can be dated. It takes its name from the griffin carved on the façade on the second floor.
- Thirteenth century Hôtel de la Monnaie, Place Vival, is now a museum. According to Gaston Bazalgues, its name has nothing to do with the royal mint; in fact, Via Munita is Latin for “paved road.”
- Hôtel de Balène or Château Balène, rue Balène, a former medieval fortress, is now a center for contemporary art. It takes its name from a powerful family, the Lords of Balène.
- Hôtel de Lostanges (Maison Gironde), place Barthal.
- Hôtel Dumont de Sournac, corner of rue Clermont and rue Tomfort.
- Hôtel Galiot de Genouillac, rue Roquefort.
- 15th-century Hôtel d’Auglanat, rue Gambetta.
Bridges
From upstream to downstream, there are four structures for crossing the Célé.
- Pont du Pin: a medieval bridge with two arches built in the 13th century and a third in the 15th century. The latter spanned the forebay of the Paramelle mill. The bridge owes its name to a large pine tree that disappeared during the French Revolution. It was restored in 1983-1984.
- Pont Gambetta: previously, a medieval structure on this site was called Pont du Griffoul, as the nearby Fonts-Redonde Springs were channeled to a fountain located on a forebay of the bridge. Rebuilt three times, the current bridge dates back to 1883 and now allows passage on the road between Villefranche-de-Rouergue and Rodez.
- The footbridge over the Célé, a pedestrian walkway, is located opposite the Palais de Justice and was designed in 2003 by engineer Marc Mimram.
- Pont du Gua, a bridge built in the 15th century by the consuls, was destroyed and rebuilt in 1895. Having become dangerous , it was destroyed again on March 23, 1998, then rebuilt and inaugurated in 2001. It is 46.5 meters long and 10 meters wide.
Museums
The city is home to the Champollion Museum les écritures du monde (the writings of the world). With more than 40,000 visitors a year, the museum contains collections showing how writing has appeared in the world for 5,000 years.
The Champollion Museum is the major museum in the city, but there are others in Figeac: the Musée Paulin-Ratier, the Musée de la Résistance and the Musée d’histoire de Figeac. The latter was redesigned in 2012 in the spirit of cabinets of curiosities, in rooms belonging to the former seminary, behind the Notre-Dame-du-Puy church.
Restaurants
There are 3 Michelin list restaurants in the city:
- La Racine et la Moelle, 6 rue du Consulat, Modern Cuisine
- La Dînée du Viguier, 4 rue Boutaric, Modern Cuisine
- La Cuisine du Marché, 15 rue de Clermont, Traditional Cuisine
How to get to?
From Paris: 6 hr 8 min (581 km) via A20
From Toulouse: 2 hr 12 min (185 km) via A20
From Andorra: 4 hr 34 min (366 km) via A20
From Barcelona: 5 hr 53 min (576 km) via A61
From Madrid: 10 hr 2 min (984 km) via A-1 and A64
From Monaco: 6 hr 46 min (581 km) via A8
From Moscow: 36 hr (3,355 km) via E30/M1
From Belgrade: 18 hr 43 min (1,835 km) via E70 and A4
From Istanbul: 29 hr (2,801 km) via E70
From Bern: 7 hr 29 min (768 km) via A89
Main information
Area: 35 km2
Population: 9 770
Coordinates: 44°36′31″N 2°01′54″E
Language: French
Currency: Euro
Visa: Schengen
Time: Central European UTC +1
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