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Origin and history

The drawing mill of Marssac-sur-Tarn, built in the 16th century, was a rectangular stone building located on the Tarn bed downstream of the village. Its structure was divided into two parts by a split wall, corresponding to arches, while its walls formed piles and spurs upstream. The entrance door, in a low arch decorated with mouldings, and two armored stones bearing the arms of Cardinal Duprat, Chancellor of Francis I and Bishop of Albi (1528-1535), marked its architectural and historical importance.

The mill was swallowed up in 1951 when the Rivers Dam was put into operation, putting an end to centuries of history linked to the local drapery industry. Ranked a Historical Monument by decree of 13 July 1927 for its remains, it illustrates the industrial heritage of Occitanie, now partially accessible via archaeological and documentary traces.

The weapons of Cardinal Duprat, visible on the distant pile and above the door, underline the link between this mill and the religious and political elites of the Renaissance. Their presence suggests a patronage or high-level protection, typical of the achievements of this time when the Church and the monarchy supported local economic activities.

The initial location of the mill, on the left bank of the Tarn, reflected its strategic role in the processing of sheets, a major activity for the Tarn villages before the Industrial Revolution. Its architecture adapted to the watercourse, with spurs to resist the floods, bears witness to the hydraulic and artisanal know-how of the sixteenth century.

Today, the remains of the draper mill, although submerged, remain protected and documented, providing an overview of the region's construction techniques and textile economy. Their symbolic preservation recalls the impact of the great works of the 20th century on the historical rural heritage.

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