On Tuesday, November 19, the Les Cascaris de Bégoux club received Pierre Péguin for a conference entitled “The Lot, the river”. Pierre likes to look into the past of Quercy. He collected photos and extensive documentation on the Lot River, a major axis whose history he brought to life since Roman times.
He insisted on the natural characteristics of the river, 480 km long, 100 to 200 m wide downstream, marked by large meanders. Controlling and equipping this watercourse could only be done with the help of progressive technical innovations: bridges for a long time rare, causeways and mills, locks, flood control dams, means of navigation also with barges. Over twenty centuries, the vicissitudes of history have led to periods of prosperity and decline. Little by little, a prosperous economy was established based on wheat, wine, wood, iron and coal, which gave rise to an industry that has disappeared today. River transport allowed commerce and exchanges to the port of Bordeaux. Pierre Péguin perfectly illustrated the economy of the river at its peak in the 19th century. Old postcards showed a people focused on activities linked to the Lot: sailors, fishermen, carpenters, lock keepers… But the arrival of the railway gradually ruined this economy of which architectural vestiges remain. Today, leisure navigation and the greenway are new forms of development of the Lot valley, far from the vitality of yesteryear. The meeting continued around a drink of friendship which made it possible to present a program of philosophy workshops on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. in the village hall: democracy on November 26 and the meal on December 10. The Cascaris invite you to their annual lottery on Sunday, December 1 at 2:30 p.m. at the Bégoux village hall.
