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Origin and history

The Mirepoises building, located at 15 boulevard Léon-Gambetta in Cahors, is a historical monument dating back to the 13th–14th centuries, with vestiges of medieval dwellings. In the 17th century, the Marquis de Mirepoix, governor of Quercy, donated it in 1665 to his wife and the bishop of Cahors to establish a religious congregation. The aim was to train teachers and free education for poor girls in the region. The renovation work, completed around 1677–78, allowed the Mirepois community to officially settle there in 1678.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: in 1792, the community, composed of eleven sisters and welcoming 25 residents, was abolished. The city of Cahors then transformed the building into a secular institution under the direction of the former superior, now the citizen Delsol, to continue the education of disadvantaged young girls. This change reflected the political and social upheavals of the time, when ecclesiastical property was nationalized and reassigned to public use.

After the Revolution, in 1804, the city council appealed to the White Ladies (religious of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary), who occupied the place until 1900. They bought the building from the city in 1835 for 36,000 francs and added a chapel after 1812. Their departure in 1900 marked the end of the religious vocation of the building, which was sold to a private company. Between 1973 and 1985, a large part of the building was destroyed, leaving only elements protected by historical monuments since 1977: facades, roofs, decorated chimneys, and wall paintings of the oratory.

The architectural remains today bear witness to this complex history, mixing medieval heritage, educational and religious commitment, and revolutionary transformations. The building thus illustrates the evolution of charitable institutions in France, between the former regime, revolutionary period, and the nineteenth century. Its partial inscription in 1977 highlights the heritage value of interior decorations (paintings, beams, chimneys) and its exterior structure, despite the destruction suffered in the twentieth century.

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