Origins of the island Fin XIIe siècle (≈ 1295)
North entity separation wall.
XIIIe siècle
Major changes
Major changes XIIIe siècle (≈ 1350)
Percée rue Séguier, latrines, chimneys, commercial activity.
Fin XVe - Début XVIe siècle
Modernization work
Modernization work Fin XVe - Début XVIe siècle (≈ 1625)
Folding wall, staircase, painted and heraldic decorations.
2021
Official protection
Official protection 2021 (≈ 2021)
Registration historic monument in full.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
In total, as delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree, the following buildings of the islet Séguier, sis 10 rue Séguier – 2 impasse Bonhomme, as well as the soil and basement of plots 162 and 163, section AB: inscription by order of 18 December 2021
Key figures
Catherine Viers (INRAP) - Archeoanthropologist
Identified the remains of the 12th century.
Origin and history
The Seguier islet, located in Figeac, consists of two cadastral plots (AB 162 and 163) forming a L between Rue Séguier, the Bonhomme impasse and the Mint impasse. Originally divided between two owners, it is now gathered under the property of the city. Its oldest remains, dated from the late twelfth century, include a wall of separation between the two entities. In the 13th century, the breakthrough of Rue Séguier led to major changes: latrines, chimneys, gemined windows, and the construction of a house body transforming the primitive facade into an interior wall. Three large arches on the ground floor suggest commercial activity, while the back probably served as a service area.
At the end of the 15th or early 16th century, large-scale works modernize the island: a north-south split wall is erected, a basement subdivides the ground floor, and a stair tower is added. The building is raised on a level, with new fireplaces and a French ceiling adorned with heraldic enclosures in the large room on the second floor, reflecting family alliances. Painted decorations (brocards, flower sheaves, geometric motifs) complete this ensemble, symbolizing the renewal of Figeac after a century marked by wars and epidemics.
In modern times, after the Wars of Religion, a new stairway tower was added to the north courtyard, partially removing a wooden gallery. The corbellation in wooden panels of the facade is disassembled, the sill windows replaced by rectangular bays, and the medieval decorations (paintings, heraldic ceiling) hidden under blinds or false ceilings. These transformations illustrate the successive adaptations of the island to the needs and styles of each era, while keeping traces of its medieval history.
