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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Cahors building, located at 40 rue du Portail-Alban, is a private hotel formed at the end of the 15th century by the transformation of an older house. It consists of two square building bodies, framing a courtyard closed by a terrace, with a semi-integrated round tower giving access to the floors. Its sculpted decoration, dated between 1482 and 1530, illustrates a regional Quercy style: plant motifs (trees, branches), religious symbols (roses, monograms of Christ, fleurs de lys), and geometric elements (beads, cords). The French ceilings, still visible on the ground floor and first floor, testify to its original prestige.

Built in the last quarter of the 15th century for Antoine d'Alamand, archdeacon of Tornès, the hotel was then attached to the property of Cahors Cathedral and served as a residence for archdeacons. The building underwent major alterations in the 20th century, including the addition of a third floor in the 1960s–70s, which partially distorted its historical aspect. Despite these changes, it retains remarkable elements such as its carved chimneys and adorned lintels, characteristic of local flamboyant art.

Ranked a Historical Monument by decree of 21 October 1944, the building embodies the Lotoise civil architecture of the Renaissance, mixing late Gothic influences and renaissant first touches. Its location in the historic centre of Cahors, near the Episcopal Palace, highlights its link with the religious power of the time. The decorative motifs, repeated on doors and chimneys, reflect both symbols of piety and social status, typical of the ecclesiastical elites of Quercy.

The location of the building, although documented (40 rue du Portail-Alban), is considered to be satisfactory accuracy (note 6/10), without GPS coordinates verified in available sources. The current photographs, licensed under Creative Commons (MOSSOT credit), show a partially modified state, where the round tower and some decors remain despite modern transformations.

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