VILLAGE DE BANASSAC
The village of Banassac is situated at the confluence of the Urugne and the Saint-Saturnin which flow here into the Lot It is especially known for the production of ceramics in Antiquity, and the coinage in the Middle Ages Its architecture is remarkable by the use of a characteristic red sandstone The small archaeological museum in the town hall traces the history of the village.
The village of Banassac is located at the confluence of the Urugne and the Saint-Saturnin which flow here into the Lot
You will notice the originality of the architecture of Banassac: the frequent use of a ferruginous sandstone which gives it its characteristic red color.
Already in the Gallo-Roman period, this vicus is famous for its production of sigillated pottery which was distributed throughout the empire. Then, during the high Middle Ages, in the 6th and 7th centuries, the village of Banassac became an important minting centre for the Merovingian kings
It is said that the European collections of Merovingian coins consist of 10% of coins minted in Banassac
However, the economic decline of the village occurred around the 7th century, when the monastery of Saint-Martin de la Canourgue developed and gradually gave rise to a new town
The small archaeological museum located in the town hall, traces this remarkable past.
