Capdenac

Capdenac is a common French located in the department of the Lot and the area the Midday-Pyrenees. The inhabitants are Capdenacois (be).

History

This true eyrie, was as of 3.500 years before our era, an important locality for the men, as testifies some, the discovery, of an enigmatic goddess of fruitfulness going back to 5.000 years.

On the other hand the exact localization of Uxellodunum remains discussed, and recently Capdenac lost the official title of probable place of the site. An official decision, of April 21st, 2001, declared that the most probable site of Uxellodunum was the Puy d' Issolud close to the town of Vayrac, following the results of archaeological excavations undertaken in 1997.

Capdenac-Uxellodunum, the last bastion of Gallic resistance

Capdenac, was then occupied by the Celtes, and was even probably, their last place of resistance vis-a-vis Jules César, at the time of the Guerre of Gaules, into 51 before J.C.

At that time, the city of Capdenac would have been called Gallic Uxellodunum, and two chiefs, Lucterios and Drappès took refuge there after the terrible defeat of Alésia, which had constrained Vercingétorix, and the main thing of the Gallic armed forces to deposit the weapons. Lucterios was a chief resulting from the people of the Cadurques of which Uxellodunum formed part, he thus gained easily the inhabitants with his cause. The first Roman Légions ordered by Caninius arrived quickly in front of the city, and started to prepare the seat. The two Gallic chiefs, were on the point of undergoing a long seat, for that, they decided to make large corn provisions, before the place is not entirely encircled by the enemy. Several food convoys arrived at good port, but at the time of the one of these convoys, the Gallic chiefs like their troops, were surprised by an attack of the Romans, Luctérios managed to flee, whereas Drappès was made prisoner. The city of Uxellodunum, was as from this moment there, orphan of its chiefs, and only 2.000 combatants ensured the defense of the city, but the obstinate resistance of its inhabitants continued all the same. Alerted by Caninius, and being afraid of the value of example which this handle of irreducible could show, César hastened to come on the spot, with its cavalry. From this moment there, approximately 30.000 Romains besieged Uxellodunum. Knowing that the city was well provided in living, Jules César decided to deprive them of water. For that it prevented them from going down to the river, by posting archers, slingers, and machines of war on opposite bank. Then the Gaulois are reflected all, to come to seek water in only place, in a large fountain. César then made build an earthwork, overcome of a wood tower, of 10 stages, in order to prevent the Gallic ones from leaving their walls. Thanks to this stratagem, besieged saw themselves constrained to remain locked up behind their walls, and César made dig galleries, in order to cut the water veins feeding the fountain of Uxellodunum. The Gallic ones made many exits and caused large damage with the Roman army, until the day, where work of derivation of the fountain, achieved their goal, and drained the only fountain of the city. The Gallic ones transfer a divine sign there, and went at once. To punish this resistance, Jules César made cut the hands to all the men in ages to carry the weapons. The fall of Uxellodunum, marked the end of the Guerre of Gaules. It was thus on this oppidum dominating the valley of the Lot, baptized Oltis by the Romans, that our ancestors offered their last resistance vis-a-vis the power of Rome.

Capdenac the Gallo-Roman

Uxellodunum, was not given up by the Romans, who made a fortress of it, by digging a large ditch, and by building a new strengthened fountain, which one reaches still nowadays by a staircase of 130 steps.

Times of insecurity

Then during Roman peace, Uxellodunum fell a little into the lapse of memory, before a chief Visigoth, Gisbert Eschriniol seized some, and Caput denasci baptized it (abandoned fortress), which would have become Capdenac today. The Visigoths remained Masters of the town of 477 to 530, and were driven out by it by Thierry, wire of Clovis. Then, in fact the Sarrasins plundered the city, before being about it driven out by Charles Martel. In 778, it is Pepin the Brief, which made the head office of Capdenac, at the time of its war carried out against Waïffre, last king d' Aquitaine. Then, Capdenac was the place of residence of Saint-Géraud, the founder of the Abbaye of Aurillac, which carried out a miracle in the castle capdenacois. A noble family of the knights of Capdenac, animated the area of at the 13th century. The Templiers, then the Hospital , settled with the southern point of the borough, then, Simon de Montfort at the time of its crusade carried out against the Albigensians, besieged the city twice.

The Albigensian crusade

During the crusade carried out against Cathares by Simon de Montfort, Capdenac was a frightening fortified town, and it is not astonishing that the military chief of this crusade decided amongst other things to occupy it in 1209 and 1214. If Capdenac officially did not shelter Albigensian heretics, it is on its grounds that nacquit Bertrand of Bacalaria, which was the engineer out of machine of war, which returned in the Château of Montségur then besieged. It built standard machines then Trébuchet S and others, in order to try to destroy those posted by the troops of king de France, which caused much damage in the defenders of Montségur. The place known as of Bacalaria always exists, it is called today Vacalerie and is to 3 km of the city of Capdenac.

Some One hundred Year old war to our days

During the War One hundred Year old, Capdenac resisted the English enemy savagely, during several seats. At the end of the 14th century the family of Armagnac, went owner of the place, before being driven out by Louis XI about it, then dolphin of the kingdom of France. Galiot de Genouillac, large artillery Master of the kingdom of France, was also the lord during the 16th century. The wars of religion S did not save the small city, which was held a long time by the Protestants, Sully, coming even to withdraw there after the death of Henri IV.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

Chasséenne goddess

Dried up Gallic fountain

Strengthened troglodytic fountain (Roman) (MH)

Keep with watch towers of XIVe (MH)

House of the guards of XIVe

Ramparts and strengthened doors northern and southern

Cross monolith of XVIIe (MH)

Church Midsummer's Day Baptist (XVIIIe)

Exposure For Uxellodunum to Capdenac

Personalities related to the commune

- Saint Géraud d' Aurillac (859 - 909), founder of the abbey of Aurillac, was lord of Capdenac.

- Galiot de Genouillac (1465 - 1546), large Master of artillery of François Ier, was lord of Capdenac.

- Maximilien de Béthune - more known under the name of Sully (1560 - 1641), minister of Henri IV, it lived 15 years in his castle of Capdenac

- Jacques-Joseph Champollion, known as Champollion-Figeac, older brother of the scanner of the hiéroglyphes carried out excavations in 1816 and wrote in 1820: New research on the Gallic city of Uxellodunum . he concluded in his work that Capdenac-le-haut was the antique Uxellodunum.

- Jean-Ventach chair Uxellodunum commission of 1963 to 1985, inventor of the Roman fountain in 1979 with his friend Roger Marty

- Roger Marty (1923 - 2007), founder of Association for Uxellodunum with Capdenac, in 2001, and which since carries out many research on the site of Capdenac - Uxellodunum, and inventor of the Roman fountain of Capdenac, with his/her friend Jean Ventach.

See too

Common of the Batch
Uxellodunum

External bonds

Capdenac on the site of the national geographical Institute
Capdenac on the site of INSEE
Capdenac on the site of Quid
Localization of Capdenac on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Capdenac on Mapquest

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