Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Single's obelisk, also known as the Single's needle, is one of two medieval obelisks still standing near Figeac, in the Lot. Ranked as early as 1840 among the first historical monuments of France, it is distinguished by its octagonal structure in limestone, 14 meters high, with a square base with steps and a pyramidal arrow. Two niches on its north and south sides suggest the past presence of statues, now extinct. Its architecture, similar to that of the lanterns of the dead of the same period, remains unique: its barrel is full, without a sommital lantern.

The local tradition attributes to these needles a role as a pillar delineating the lands of the Abbey of St.Sauveur of Figeac, founded in the 11th century. According to a 19th century hypothesis, they marked the angles of a salvetat (medieval refuge zone), forming a quadrilateral with two other obelisks today disappeared. However, no archive confirms the existence of these last two monuments. The texts mention only pergus (wood poles or masons), which would have completed this symbolic delimitation around a territory of about 8 km2.

Dated with uncertainty from the 13th or 14th century, the needles were restored in 1879-1880, including their destroyed tips. Their exact function remains debated: legal boundaries, religious landmarks, or abbatial power symbols? Their early classification as historical monuments underscores their heritage value, although their precise origin and use are still beyond historians' control. The Cingle needle, located 1.3 km south of Figeac, still dominates the landscape, silent witness of the Lotese Middle Ages.

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