Come and discover the village of Montfaucon, an English bastide of the thirteenth century rich in its heritage and history. Stroll along its perfectly perpendicular streets, lined with renovated houses. Let yourself be guided to the sites that testify to the past of this place, such as the church dating from the thirteenth century, the small seminary of the nineteenth century or the square of the convent.
In 1286, Pons de Gourdon, lord of Labastide Fortanière, granted the Pech de Montfaucon to the English at the request of the king of France. They erected an administrative town with an orthogonal layout. Occupied during the Hundred Years' War, it was not reconquered until 1440 by the French. Subsequently, the village enjoyed years of prosperity thanks to a charter signed by the king, which granted privileges acquired during the English occupation. The inhabitants were then solely responsible to the king and exempt from all taxes to the local lords. They enjoyed freedom of establishment, commerce and justice. The Revolution put an end to these advantages, but the consequences were minimal, and the village became the capital of the canton.
Montfaucon’s prosperity was strengthened by the establishment of a minor seminary by the bishop of Cahors. Many houses were transformed into shops, hotels and cafes. The presbytery was enlarged, and a convent of nuns was established below the village. However, with the separation of church and state, this era of prosperity ended. The seminary building remained vacant until it was taken over by the PTT (Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones), which transformed it into a sanatorium (now a recognized functional rehabilitation center). Under Napoleon III, Labastide Murat became the new capital of the canton, Montfaucon fell asleep. Paradoxically, this situation has preserved its architecture, and the village, now renovated, is a magnificent example of a bastide.