Timeline

Heritage classified

Origin and history

The central hall of Monpazier is an emblematic building located on Place des Cornières, near the church of Saint-Dominique, in the Dordogne department. Built in the 13th century, it bears witness to the importance of medieval bastids in New Aquitaine. Its architecture combines wood and stone, with a stone parapet housing three distinct grain measures, reflecting its central economic role.

Monpazier's charter of customs, dated 1284, established a weekly market on Thursday, confirming the commercial vocation of the hall from its creation. This building, classified as a historic monument on 18 July 1960, illustrates the urban and social organization of the bastides, where the halls served as a place of exchange and gathering for the inhabitants and merchants of the region.

The hall, owned by the municipality, is fully protected, including the floor of the central square. Its rectangular structure and its original wooden elements make it a rare example of preserved medieval civil architecture. The sources, such as the Mérimée base and the works of Michel Coste, underline its heritage importance in the landscape of the bastides of the South-West.

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