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Origin and history

The Church of the Carmelites of Figeac, also known as the Church of St.Thomas-Becket, is an emblematic monument of the city. It is part of an ancient Conventual ensemble of Carmelites, mentioned as early as 1265 among the beneficiaries of legacies of a Cosseigneur de Capdenac. The present Gothic-style building was built in the 14th century, although its history dates back to the 12th century with a first church dedicated to St.Thomas Becket, transferred in 1295 to the interior of the Figeac ramparts.

In the 16th century, the church suffered major damage during religious conflicts: Protestants, after taking the city in 1576, ruined the chapel, cloister and capitular hall. The Catholics, taking over Figeac in 1622, restored the buildings summarily. After the Revolution, the monastery was abandoned, but the chapel became the parish church of the Aujou district. In 1871, Abbé Lacrière undertook a complete restoration, modifying the facade and vaults, while preserving the medieval bedside and elements such as fire.

The church, classified as a historical monument in 1993, preserves traces of its conventual past, including the gate of the ancient capital hall dating from the late 13th or early 14th century. Inside, a Romanesque capital of the Saint-Sauveur church serves as a blessing, and twelve paintings of the apostles, referenced in the Palissy base, enrich its heritage. The buildings of the convent, restored in 1982 during the development of the Administrative City, complete this historic complex.

Architecturally, the church consists of a unique nave vaulted on dogive crosses, with 14th century side chapels. The tower-clocher, integrated with the southern chapel, and the large oriental window date back to 19th century restorations. Despite these transformations, the building remains a significant testimony of the southern Gothic and the religious history of Figeac, between conflicts, restorations and adaptations to parish needs.

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