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Origin and history

The house known as Raynaly is located in the former aristocratic district of the Castrum of Bélaye, Occitanie. It is part of a series of joint houses with a northern façade overlooking the Meander of the Lot. Its oldest parts, dating back to the first half of the 14th century by the style of windows and chimneys, were partially redesigned in the 19th century, but the building retains its medieval state overall. Its rectangular plan, spread over two levels of 40 to 50 m2, suggests a functional organization: the ground floor, probably dedicated to the kitchen, is divided by a transverse diaphragm arch, while the floor housed an aula (reception room) and a bedroom.

On the first floor, there were some remarkable elements: two geminous, dusty bays surrounding a built-in fireplace, as well as two curved wall cabinets. The windows, decorated with capitals with human figures, testify to a careful sculptural work. The adjacent room had a geminied bay, a high window, a wall cabinet and latrines, reflecting the relative comfort of the local elites. The building, inscribed in the Historical Monuments in 2022, illustrates the aristocratic domestic architecture of the Lower Middle Ages in Quercy.

Raynaly House is part of the urban fabric of Bélaye Castrum, a strategic site controlling the Lot Valley. Its exceptional state of conservation, despite minor modifications in the 19th century, makes it a rare testimony of medieval urban houses in the region. The interior arrangements (roadways, cabinets, latrines) underline the social status of its occupants, probably linked to the local aristocracy or the merchant bourgeoisie, in a context where the Lot served as a major commercial axis between the Central Massif and the Aquitaine.

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