Restoration & decoration
Realization of paving joints in the French village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie
Overview
Using a material suitable for heritage conservation
A bit of history
Located in the Lot department and overlooking the river, Saint-Cirq Lapopie is one of the most beautiful villages in France. It was even elected as the favorite village of the French in 2012.
And for good reason, this small medieval town, with over 2000 years of history, boasts 13 historical monuments within its walls, including a church, chapel, castle ruins, and artists' residences. With its tile-covered houses, medieval shops, cafes, and galleries, it is like a movie set. Each year, it attracts over 700,000 visitors who enjoy strolling through its cobbled streets lined with roses. The poet and writer André Breton once said about the village where he had settled, "I have ceased to desire elsewhere."
Project
At the end of 2017, the municipality of Saint-Cirq Lapopie began a complete renovation of the village streets. Natural cement PROMPT was used for the jointing of the cobbled alleys, covering over 5,000 square meters of ground. For this project, the objective was to identify a solution suitable for the jointing of the pavements.
Restoration
Restoration steps
Implementation
Occitanie Pierres, the company in charge of the project, formulated a mortar using artificial cement and PROMPT natural cement to carry out the paving jointing.
Aesthetic, durable, and resistant solution
The use of PROMPT natural cement for this project allowed for a quick restoration of the village's squares and streets, as well as durability and resistance of the joint mortar.
The preference was given to a natural product that respects the preservation of heritage: a PROMPT natural cement mortar. Another advantage is the unique aesthetic of PROMPT natural cement, thanks to its light ochre color, which is suitable for natural stone.
In fact, the art of imitating local stone with PROMPT natural cement has been practiced for over 180 years. The mass jointing method has been successful as it perfectly met the project specifications and the municipality's expectations for renovation. "In the context of this exceptional renovation project in the favorite village of French people, and with respect to the historic buildings in this location, we had to meet major technical and aesthetic constraints. Naturally, we turned to the Vicat company for expert collaboration that could fulfill these specifications.
As a result, we were able to create pathways that respect the site, using natural and durable Vicat joints, which perfectly served our layout," said Joël Bertrand, manager of Occitanie Pierres.
Finalized project
5000 m² of cobblestones
Complete restoration
After more than 20 months of work, excluding the summer period, visitors were able to discover the village and its fully renovated cobbled streets, strolling through this charming historical gem. The overall result is harmonious and immediately captivating.
KEY INFORMATION
5,000 m² of jointing throughout the village of Saint Cirq Lapopie
7,000 visitors per year
20 months of work
STAKEHOLDERS
Client
Municipality of Saint-Cirq Lapopie
Project manager
Juliette FAVARON
Entreprises
Occitanie Pierres
Discover
Discover our product
Derived from a unique deposit located in the Chartreuse massif, PROMPT natural cement is an exclusive product of the Vicat Group.