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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Mazot House, located in Rocamadour in the Lot, is a remarkable example of medieval and reborn civil architecture. Built on three medieval parcels grouped together, it consists of a house on street, a wing in return, and a stairway tower. The remains of the 12th or 13th century, like the two large arcades broken on the facade, suggest an older origin, although the present structure dates mainly from the 14th and 16th centuries. The ground floor initially housed two shops and a vaulted cellar, while the floor, divided into rooms and rooms, kept original chimneys and windows before the 1950s restorations.

Ancient photographs (Rupin, 1904) confirm that the attic windows and their consoles are not modern additions, but preserved historical elements. The house, perhaps a hotel for pilgrims, was divided between several owners in the 17th and 18th centuries before being reunited in the 19th century. It then became the presbytery thanks to Abbé Mazot, then acquired by the bishopric of Cahors in 1854, before sheltering the Brothers of Christian Instruction at the end of the nineteenth century.

A fire in April 1925, shortly after being included in the inventory of Historic Monuments (March 1925), destroyed all wooden parts. Repurchased by the town in 1954, it was restored by architect Michel Mastorakis to become the Town Hall in 1959. The traces of medieval parcellaire at the back of the courtyard and the interior arrangements (stairs with Saint-Gilles screws, semi-troglodyte cuisine) illustrate its evolution throughout the centuries, mixing religious, civil and communal functions.

The original layout, with a vestibule illuminated by third-point bays and a stable attests to its versatile use. Major changes (closing, restoration) did not alter the primitive layout, thus preserving a rare evidence of medieval urban habitat in Occitanie. Its history also reflects the social changes of Rocamadour, marked by pilgrimage, church, and local administration.

The Mazot House thus embodies the transition between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, with defensive elements (broken arches) and domestic facilities (pathways, stairs). Its ranking in 1925 and its restoration in the 20th century underline its heritage importance, between religious memory and modern public service.

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