Lot: Luzech and its Impernal tower compete for the Grand Prix of the Heritage Foundation

For Salvador Dali, Perpignan station was the center of the world. The municipality of Luzechin the Batch, do not aspire to this title. She will be satisfied with that of capital of Occitania which was attributed to him by the Heritage Foundation for the whole month of June. It is its emblematic Impernal Tower, overlooking the town from a height of 24 m, which was selected to represent the Region and compete with the 13 other restoration projects applying for the Grand Prix du Patrimoine.

The history of the Imperial Tower of Luzech

Because although it has proudly resisted the ravages of time thanks to its 2 m thick walls, this building built in 1227 on the orders of William de Cardaillac after the Albigensian Crusade still requires some care and the 100,000 € awarded to the winner of the competition will not be too much.

According to the architectural tradition of the time, its lower part was occupied by a false bass and its main entrance was located on the first floor. It was accessed by an easily removable structure which has disappeared. The main aim of the restoration is to reconstruct it in such a way as to secure access to the building since a spiral staircase then leads to the upper floors including a vaulted room and a terrace which offers a magnificent view of the city, the river and its valley.

For several years, elected officials have been thinking about making this magnificent building accessible so that visitors can enjoy the panorama.

The budget planned for the first phase of work is €400,000. A second phase of work worth €300,000 is also planned to develop the espalier gardens surrounding it. The former “false bass cul” would house a museum.

A board game on the tower

Luze associations as well as certain individuals including Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Denmark, have massively joined the project which has already made it possible to raise the sum of €25,000.

A Luzéchois, Olivier Faucher, imagined a board game which features the tower and the medieval characters who frequented it.

The game was designed and manufactured in Luzech, mainly by residents of the Boissor medical-social complex. Every euro generated will go to the rehabilitation project. It is still only available in the “les Rigolotes” boutique, Place du Canal. It will soon be available at other points of sale such as tourist offices and on an online store: www.latourdeluzech-lejeu.fr

The historian Gilbert Brouquil has published a small illustrated booklet on the town. It can be found at most merchants at the price of five euros which will also be donated to the tower.

In April 2023, under the mandate of the current mayor, Bernard Piaser, the municipality decided to solicit institutional patrons such as the Heritage Foundation through the Luze association “la Trinquade”. And this is how the Tour de l’Impernal was selected to represent Occitanie in competition with thirteen other projects as part of the grand heritage prize.

To support the project

To support the Luzéchois project and defend the Occitanie region during this great game, all you have to do is vote before the deadline of June 30 by going to the bottom of the page:

https://www.fondation-patrimoine.org/les-projets/luzech-tour-medievale

The aid of €100,000 promised to the winner would be a big boost for this village, a worthy representative of the Lot. Do not hesitate to relay the information to those around you in the hope of obtaining the maximum number of votes.

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