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Origin and history

The Romanesque house of Aurillac, located in Place Saint-Géraud, is a 12th century building that probably served as a dependency on the abbey of Aurillac. It was used as a hospital for pilgrims and was cited in sources as early as 1280, although its construction seems to date back to the late 11th century. The building has a remarkable Romanesque façade, rediscovered during works in 1937-1938, after being reported by Mérimée in 1838.

On the ground floor, the facade is decorated with an arching flanked by bays in the middle of the hanger, the frames of which are still visible. The three arches, with their separate apparatuses, rest on columns with capitals carved with floral motifs and quadrupeds. These architectural elements, typical of Romanesque art, bear witness to the importance of this building in the medieval religious and hospital context.

The three Romanesque arcades on the façade were classified as historical monuments by order of 24 June 1963. This classification protects a rare architectural heritage, illustrating the role of abbeys in welcoming pilgrims and patients in the Middle Ages. The house, although transformed over the centuries, retains significant traces of its medieval origin, thanks in particular to the restoration of its facade.

The building is located in the department of Cantal, in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a region marked by a rich religious and Romanesque heritage. Its location, facing the church Saint-Géraud, reinforces its link with the abbey history of Aurillac, founded in the 9th century by Géraud d'Aurillac. The house, now integrated into the urban fabric, remains a tangible testimony of medieval hospital architecture.

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