Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Tour du Caraillé de Fumel, located at No. 3 of Rue Belhomme, is a composite building dating back to the 14th century. Originally, it was probably built to monitor a ford on the Lot River and a nearby mill. The oldest part rests on a vaulted cellar pierced with murderers, and includes a round tower with a staircase with screws, typical of medieval defensive buildings.

In the 18th century, the building was enlarged and renovated in a style inspired by the castle of Fumel, with a baluster terrace and a vaulted gallery. This transformation reflects the influence of the Trenty family, notably Pierre Trenty, master of forges and paper maker, who occupied the premises from that time on. The south façade, on the raised ground floor, and the communes in the north, formerly gendarmerie barracks, bear witness to this architectural evolution.

The Tour du Caraillé was listed as a historical monument on 1 September 1986 for its facades, roofs and terraces. Its history is linked to the confluence of the Lot and the Lemance, as well as to local industrial activity, as evidenced by the traces of the Lemance arm pipe in the 20th century. The protected elements include vaulted cellars, an arcade gallery and balusters similar to those of the nearby castle.

The building thus illustrates the transition between a medieval defensive function and a bourgeois residence of the Enlightenment, while preserving remains of its military past. Its hybrid architecture makes it a rare testimony to the adaptation of old buildings to the needs of local elites under the Old Regime.

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