Welcome to lavaur (tarn)

The cathedral Saint Alain de Lavaur is one of the chiefs of works of the Gothic architecture Southerner. It is built on the site of a first Romance priory dedicated to Saint Alain and founded in 1098 by the monks Benedictines of the abbey of Saint Pons de Thomières. To replace this first building - that the remarkable altar stone out of marble remains - ruined in 1211 after the head office of Lavaur, a charter is signed on March 15, 1255 between the knights and conciliation board of the city. The construction of this vast building (41,5 m X 13,6 m for 23 m height of vault) is spread out during all second half of XIIIrd century. Brick construction - at the beginning simple a " box " of 5 spans timidly opened and strongly counterthrusts - falls under the genealogy of the first Gothic churches of south-west: after Cordeliers, Sainte Etienne of Toulouse and Rabastens, but before Holy Cecile of Albi. Already Gothic by its program of carved capitals, the southern gate is, with its curved curves, of Romance style. With the promotion of the city to the row of évêché in 1318, the church become cathedral knows a series of embellishments: apse east coast in 1332, vaults north and south enters XIVth and XVIth century, powerful bell-tower-turn and monumental gate in the west in XVth century. Large organ Cavaillé-coll was installed in 1876 in a splendid organ case out of polychrome carved wooden, chief of work of art reappearing of the South. Curiosity, the cathedral preserves the only specimen of Jacquemart in south-west. It is about the 3rd automat since the installation of a first bell ringer in 1704.

Lavaur is promoted with the row of episcopal see in 1317. The city occupies the north-western point of vast évêché which includes the south of the current department, between Agout and the Black Mountain. After being itself installed on the current place of the Palate, the bishops build their residence against the north-eastern side of the cathedral. This strengthened Palate organized around a central court, is constrained in the west by the cloister of the cathedral (which disappears after the Revolution). At the XVIIth century, the bishops obtain private individuals of the grounds out of the ramparts. They repurchase with the consuls these old walls, fill the ditches and establish vast gardens there: floors with the Frenchwoman, kitchen garden, fish pond… a new wing is built along Agout to enjoy this gardened space. The Palate and its appendices are sold with the Revolution, then destroyed at the XIXth century. This space becomes communal property in 1852; it is transformed into the English garden since 1857. Named " Tired garden Boxes " in remembering the famous memorialist of the Emperor with Holy Helene (installation of a statue in 1865), it is then renamed " Garden of Evêché ". View-point on Agout, the garden makes it possible to admire the remarkable bridge Saint Roch, monumental stone work built between 1773 and 1791, deploying an arch of 49 m opening (a long time the largest arch in France built of only one holding).

The Tower of the Rounds of Lavaur is the unique still visible vestige of the old ramparts of the city. Registered on the covered way, it defended southern part the ditches which were thrown in the brook of Naridelle. The depression of Naridelle, which obliged the travellers of Toulouse with Castres to cross the city, will be partially filled only at the end of the XVIIIème century (current road of Castrate). This beautiful circular brick tower, built in XVIth century, is strongly altered in 1627. Called " Tower of the torturer " at the beginning of the XIXth century, it becomes property of the commune in 1826. The tower will be used as " public slaughter " as from the years 1830, before municipal slaughter-houses are not built with the district Saint Roch in 1871. Registered with the Inventory of the Historic buildings, the Tower has sheltered for a few years the Tourist bureau of Lavaur.

The dismantling of the fortifications of the castrum of Lavaur after 1211 related to a strong population increase, causes a strong urban increase in XIIIrd century. The city overflows largely towards the west, along the road of Toulouse. This axis, which quickly becomes the right street of Barry (current Main street), has a commercial vocation right from the start. The new district structure in particular around the establishment before 1235, a community franciscaine gathering a church and a monastery. In 1398 of the sisters clarisses settle in the vicinity (street of Mounasses). The construction of the church Francois, Saint directed towards a North-South axis, is spread out over three centuries: chorus of XIIIrd, apse of XIVth and nave of XVth century. The dedication intervenes only in 1512. The building (56 m X 11 m X 17 m height under vault) which is today the largest church franciscaine south-west, sheltered the vaults of the commercial brotherhoods of the city. Its interior decoration of the XIXth century, particularly homogeneous, was entrusted to the Toulouse ones: paintings of vaults by Gayral and stained glasses of Bordieu (1852-53) then of Gesta (1888), terra cotta of Virebent. The large organ is built by the Toulouse factor Theodore Puget (1866).

The “alleys” or “walks” encircle the old city. They are arranged with the site of the old ramparts (destroyed in 1776) and of the ditches of the city. You will discover the Market with the Grains there, a relay of station of 1802, a bandstand of 1900, the Bayard villa, the hospital (finished in 1738), which was used as silk royal fabric manufacture of 1738 to 1756. The alleys finish on the court Second Empire (1859). Beyond the new Alleys the city extends from the XIXth century which marks the third phase of urbanization of the city. The new districts progress around the structuring equipment installation of: Prison (1835) and Court (1859) east coast, a Market with the Grains in the west, built by the Aurignac architect in 1881, and finally, a station in the north of the city (1884). In 1874 one installs at the end of the Alleys the beautiful Fountain of the Three Graces (moved in 1966 in the center of the roundabout).

The general aspect and the originality of a country are not always due to the remarkable monuments, churches or castles which constitute principal curiosities. The small inheritance punctuates the landscapes of the Tarn, in particular the pigeon ones or dovecotes, very many in our area, which they are on pillars, with arcades, in foot-of-mule… Because if the pigeon house held a choice place in the rural economy, grace in particular to the colombine, natural manure very effective, it was also the expression of a prestige.
This way of the dovecotes will make you discover all the poetic richness of this very particular architecture; a part can be done with foot or in the bicycle, but the road of Castrate requires the car…

The slopes of Lauragais and the Albigensian charm you by their landscapes varied, on the soft and timbered hills, between fields of sunflower or autumnal vineyards.
To go in these slopes, to the mounting of new scents and colors always more enivrantes, far from the noise and of the fury, invites you to feel intense emotions.