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Origin and history

The house known as the Abescat is a medieval residence in Tournon-d'Agenais, Lot-et-Garonne department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Built between the end of the 13th century and the beginning of the 14th century, it is considered a patrician residence, traditionally associated with the bishops of Agen. Its importance and carefully carved decoration make it a remarkable building for the time.

In 1212, during the Albigeese War, Simon de Montfort gave the Bishop of Agen the house of the Abescat, probably a site or an earlier house. The present house, later, was transformed into a church after the destruction of Saint Barthélemy church by Protestants in 1580. It is then equipped with a chapel and a bell tower built in the second half of the seventeenth century or at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

The house was decommissioned after the construction of a new church in 1886. Its façade, classified as a historical monument in 1912, is the only vestige of the primitive building. It preserves notable architectural elements, such as geminied berries with carved capitals, some of which may date from the late twelfth century. The interior was rearranged to the showroom after its decommissioning.

Tournon-d'Agenais, a royal bastide founded in 1271 by Philip III, had a turbulent history, especially during the Hundred Years' War and religious conflicts. The house of the Abescat bears witness to this story, having served as a place of Catholic worship after the Protestant destruction. Today it is a symbol of the medieval and religious heritage of the region.

The commune of Tournon-d'Agenais, a member of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, preserves several historical monuments, including the belfry, the church of Saint-André-de-Carabaysses, and the house of Abescat. These buildings illustrate the historical and architectural significance of this white Quercy village, marked by centuries of conflict and reconstruction.

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