Saint-Cirq Lapopie
The splendid village of Saint Cirq Lapopie, deservedly nicknamed « the Pearl of Lot », is a lively, colourful tourist village and the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Lot department.
"Saint Cirq Lapopie – the best of the ‘Lot’ !
Perched 100m up on a cliff overlooking a meander of the river Lot, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a charming medieval masterpiece to visit at any time of year. There are no less than 13 listed buildings in the centre of this little village which quite literally clings to the rock. Dominated by the fortified church, the picturesque narrow streets have attractive houses with steep, reddish-brown tiled roofs. Walk up to the ruined fort at the top of La Popie rock for an amazing view of the village and the Lot Valley below. Renowned for its wood turners, the village continues to attract craftworkers who open their shops and workshops in summer. It was voted France’s Favourite Village in 2012.
Saint Cirq Lapopie church
In 1522 work began to build this Gothic church around an old Romanesque seigneurial chapel, whose sculpted décor and fragments of frescoes can still be seen. Near the entrance porch, at the foot of the fortified bell tower, is one of the stone measures used when selling grain at the local market. Behind the church there are terraces and a viewpoint of the valley.
The story of Saint Cirq Lapopie
Capital of one of the three viscountcies of Quercy, Saint-Cirq Lapopie was shared in the Middle Ages between several feudal dynasties - the Lapopie, Gourdon and Cardaillac families – who built castles and fortified houses above the village of steep narrow streets that we see today. The streets were full of tradesmen’s workshops, coppersmiths (rue de la Peyrolerie), leather workers (rue de la Pélissaria) and of course the famous wood turners known as ‘roubinetaïres’ as they made wooden taps (robinets) for barrels.
There is still a wood turner in the centre of Saint Cirq Lapopie. Patrick Vinel, the fifth generation of a local dynasty, took over the family workshop nine years ago and is the only person in the village to carry on the age-old tradition. His workshop is in the main street and visitors are most welcome.
Over the ages, gabariers (boat owners) settled in Saint Cirq Lapopie and the surrounding area, building locks, water mills, dams, ports and a towpath. The boating tradition continues today, giving a new lease of life to the ‘Gabariers du Lot’.
Saint Cirq Lapopie and its artists
Saint Cirq Lapopie has long inspired and attracted artists to live there. « I have stopped wanting myself to be anywhere else» wrote the surrealist poet André Breton, one of the many artists who fell under the spell of the village. The house where he spent every summer during the 1950s is one of the oldest in the village, comprising a main building and a tower dating from the 12th and 13th centuries.
The Musée Rignault is a venue for temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. Emile-Joseph Rignault (1874-1962), an art lover and collector, donated the building to the Conseil Général du Lot in 1946.
The Maison Daura, home of the painter Pierre Daura, was donated to the Conseil Régional Midi-Pyrénées by his daughter, Martha, to be used as a residence for young artists and an exhibition venue.
Saint Cirq Lapopie is one of the gems of the region and essential to visit.
Discover the Lot with Gîtes de France Lot : Cahors, Rocamadour, Gouffre de Padirac, Grotte du Pech Merle (Cabrerets)
