“People wonder what it is”: what was this hilltop house in Périgueux used for?

Some call it the "old mill," but it was never actually used for that: the eschif, a building constructed in the 14th century, served as a watchtower. Explanations

On the quays of Périgueux, in the Dordogne, below Saint-Front Cathedral and near the Pont des Barris, a family of tourists quickly stops in front of a curious little perched house. The mother takes a photo, then they leave. "You see," smiles Martine Balout, a tour guide and local historian. "People wonder what it is."

The history of the building dates back to the Middle Ages, a period when Périgueux was equipped with fortifications (attested as early as 1177). Erected in 1347 - and attested by a letter from the sovereign Philip the Fair - on the ramparts of the medieval city, the eschif belonged to Lord Creyssac. Destroyed the following year due to a flood, this watchtower was rebuilt in cob and half-timbering. Its role was to monitor the river and the entrance to the city via the Tournepiche bridge (now the Barris bridge).

Centuries passed, and the small house still stood. In 1860, the ramparts were razed and the imperial road was laid out. Pierre Magne, a minister under Napoleon III and a native of Périgueux, financed the construction of the bridge and quays to protect the area from flooding. "The eschif was then separated from the river," says the former director of the Town of Art and History department at Périgueux town hall.

In 1929, the building was listed as a Historic Monument, under the name Moulin de Saint-Front. This confusion was due to the proximity of an "old mill" that disappeared in the 1860s. "In 1977, its classification was strengthened, but we made a mistake again," says Martine Balout.

Initially accessible by a ladder, the entrance included a staircase during the construction of the quays. In the 1930s, a dance master was able to give classes inside the perched house. But the staircase, dilapidated, was finally removed in 1948. Today, only a few qualified people can access the interior, using a cradle.

"This type of building is quite rare today."

In July 1951, the City of Périgueux purchased the building from a certain Jean-Pierre Édouard Marchat. In the 1950s, the dilapidated houses in the Rue Neuves district began to be demolished, and twenty years later, the Ibis hotel was built. "At the time, we had the idea of making the eschif an annex," recalls the historian. At the same time, the City Council had the house renovated, as it was threatening to fall into ruin.

The City, which had in the meantime sold it to the Société d'économie mixte de construction et de rénovation du quartier Saint-Front, finally bought the eschif in 1976. "It's the only element that remains of the fortifications from that period," explains Martine Balout. "This type of building is quite rare today."

This medieval heritage remains little-known, with curious visitors leaving with as many questions as when they arrived. Indeed, an explanatory plaque, which had been installed on one of the facades about ten years ago, was stolen. Martine Balout would like to see a new one installed.