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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Palmata Tower, also known as the Gaillac family hotel, is a 13th century building located in the historic centre of Gaillac. It was part of a 400 m2 estate including a courtyard and two other buildings. The tower, a place of appartment, was distinguished by its decorations and its wide groves offering views of the city, the Tarn and the Saint-Michel Abbey. A painting depicting Bertrand de Gaillac (died 1249) suggests a contemporary construction of the first half of the 13th century, confirmed by its Romanesque style still present at that time.

The first written records of the tower date from the 16th century, when it belonged to Paul Matha, probably at the origin of his present name. During the Wars of Religion, it served as a prison where 24 Protestants were killed on October 5, 1572, an event known as the Massacre of the Gaillac Saint Bartholomew. In 1840, the construction of a suspended bridge led to the destruction of part of the neighbourhood, but the tower was spared. Subsequent research, based on the cadastral plan, helped to reconstruct the initial organization of the premises.

In the 19th century, the tower was used as a store by the Saint-Michel Abbey cellar and then as an experimental cellar. In 1927, it was listed as historical monuments, with a restoration project to attract tourists. In 2003, despite local political divisions, elected officials united to preserve this heritage. The city of Gaillac finally acquired the tower in 2013 for 243,000 euros, although the development projects remain indefinite.

Architecturally, the tower combines bricks and sandstone elements, such as carved capitals with the coq de Gaillac, symbol of the eponymous family. The ground floor, once arched in warheads, and the first floor preserve traces of medieval paintings depicting knights. The second floor, truncated, housed geminied bays and a staircase integrated in the thickness of the walls. The eastern façade on Mercat Street features a broken-line door and characteristic 13th-century openings.

The tower was also the scene of dark episodes, as its prison use at the end of the sixteenth century. In 1814, it was divided between several owners before it had escaped destruction in 1840. It was fully classified in 2022 and now belongs to the municipality of Gaillac, although its access to the public remains limited.

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