Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Sagnes Tower, located in the Fort district of Cardaillac (Lot, Occitanie), dates back to the 13th century and was part of a triangular defensive complex including two other towers (including the Clock Tower, still standing, and the Marquèze Tower, destroyed in 1816). It probably belonged to the branch of the Cardaillac of Lacapelle-Marival, as suggested by its former name Lacapelle or da Capellana tower. Integrated into a enclosure protecting the family castrum, it was separated by 3 meters from the ramparts, which it dominated to strengthen its defence.

The tower, square (8.25 m side) and 21.5 m high, has 2 m thick walls at the base. Its raised access (4.45 m above the ground) was through a broken arched door, probably connected to the courtine via a flying bridge. Inside, two vaulted rooms in four-districted domes (inspired by Spanish Mozarabic models) are served by screw staircases housed in circular turrets. The lower room, illuminated by a slot in full hanger, has a sink niche and smooth capital columns. The upper room, with a geminate window and protruding latrines, communicated with the outside via a high door and a carpentry heal (now disappeared).

Ranked a historic monument in 1957, the tower was renovated between 2009 and 2015 (masonry, security, lighting) for a cost of €271,000, including the installation of guardrails and a summital shelter. Owned by the commune since the Revolution, it is the only one of the two remaining towers accessible to the public. Its architecture reflects the defensive techniques of the thirteenth century, with a dissociation of accesses and elements such as the crows of latrines or the moulded drawstrings, comparable to those of the dungeon of Castelnau-Bretenoux.

The historical sources (Wikipedia, Monumentum) underline its role in the seigneurial system of Cardaillac, a powerful family of Quercy. The tower, probably built after the division of 1227, illustrates the influence of southern architectural models (Mozarabian vaults) and the adaptation of fortifications to local needs. Today, it bears witness to the medieval history of Cardaillac, a village marked by its castral heritage.

Monumental studies (Gilles Séraphin, 2009) and bibliographical references (Louis d'Alauzier, 1969) complete the knowledge on this site, while online resources (Heritage Midi-Pyrénées) detail its technical characteristics and its evolution.

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