Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house in Cahors, on Donzelle Street, is a typical example of medieval civil architecture from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Built in wooden panels and bricks, it is distinguished by its two-storey structure, with a shop entrance under sandstone to the east and a lateral access to the floors from the north. Dendrochronological dates specify its construction around 1289, at the end of the 13th century. The house, initially possibly linked to a neighbouring plot to the south, became independent before being reunited in the seventeenth century, when a new staircase was added.

Red and yellow murals, discovered on the second floor on the west wall, could date back to the 15th century, reflecting the decorative evolution of the building. At the location of the 17th century stairway probably existed a medieval alley, reflecting the urban transformations of Cahors. The house, partially rebuilt, was classified as Historic Monument in 1996 for its remarkable elements, with the exception of a second floor room. Its history illustrates the architectural and social adaptations of an urban residence between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The location of the house at 46 Donzelle Street corresponds to a historic area of Cahors, although the current cartographic accuracy is considered poor (level 5/10). The sources, including Monumentum, highlight its heritage interest, linked to its medieval construction techniques and its traces of commercial and domestic life. The absence of specific records of owners or artisans in the archives limits the knowledge of the actors in its history, but its architecture remains a valuable testimony of the local habitat at the end of the Middle Ages.

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