Markets and Fairs
Gourdon's market is one of the area's best. Local merchants lay out fresh products, clothing, wares and local specialties every Tuesday and Saturday mornings. In the summer, local agriculturalist also hold a Farmers' Market on the Place St. Pierre every Thursday morning
Sub-Prefecture of Gourdon
Gourdon, one of Le Lot's two sub-prefectures, is located on Le Lot's northwestern border on a Acropolis that rises high over the surrounding countryside. The city's economy relies primarily on agriculture and tourism. Numerous galleries and artisan shops Gourdon's medieval streets as Le Lot's unofficial center of the arts. The main tourist attractions are the Castle of Gourdon with a foundation dating all the way to the 12th century and the Church of Saint-Pierre, completed in 1510, that towers over the city at the top of the butte.
Medieval Quarter
The Gothic church of Saint-Pierre, completed in 1510, stands atop the hill and towers over the city. Strongly accentuated buttresses and the two high towers that frame the western façade give the church the appearance of a fortress.
Beginning in 1304, construction stretched over more than two centuries due to the intervening 100 years war. Stone carvings of vines, leaves of oaks and acorns, cherubs bearing phylacteries, and animals adorn the entrance. The figures of Adam and Eve are carved on the right side.
The church's vaulted spans open onto a large choir with large stained glass windows. Six gilded wood panels that frame the choir tell the story of Christ's childhood. The Gardens of the Buttte, dated to the time of Charlemagne, are also worth the visit.
Medieval Festival
Gourdon hosts one of the regions evolved medieval festivals in the summer months. Attractions over the two day festival usually held in August include plays, swordplay, music, artisans and camping for those seeking a true role-play experience. The spectacle attracts more than 5,000 visitors each year, including both tourists and medieval enthusiasts seeking an immersive experience as Gourdon's streets are transported to a past 500 years ago.
GOURDON
Chapel of Notre-Dame on the Snows
La chapelle Notre-Dame des Neiges, completed in 1646, sits on the banks of a stream named Bléou near Gourdon. The site was chosen for its reputation as a miraculous location for those infected by the plague and namedLeveio or Leveje (from Occitan nevejo meaning snow) to represent healing from the disease.
Inside, the Chapel is home to a magnificent altarpiece created by famous Gourdon sculptor Jean Tournié in 1698, whose artistic influence extended from the mid-17th century of the Gironde to the Limousin. This polychrome gilded wooden set is dedicated to the life of the Virgin Mary and the healing power of saints. A stone statue of the Virgin holding Jesus as a child sits above the altarpiece.
On the antependium, the apostles and two holy women crowd and lean over the empty tomb of the Virgin the day after the Assumption. Perplexed glances, gestures of prostration or incredulity, or those fingers pointed to the heavens who have just welcomed the mother of Jesus, are strained by the emotion that accompanies this glorification of Mary.