Vigan Square
Ce point d’intérêt est disponible en audio dans le circuit: Visit Albi, Retracing the history of the Red City
Affectionately nicknamed “the navel of Albi”, Vigan Square looks anything but historic. Well, looks can be deceiving! Back in Roman times, there were pottery kilns right here, under the big café Pontié, said to be the oldest in the city.
Originally called Vicano, then Viga (pronounced “bigo” in Occitan), it finally settled on Vigan, which stuck around for centuries. Here’s another fun fact: Vigan comes from the Latin “vicus”, meaning “small town”. Makes sense, considering the square was once right on the edge of the medieval ramparts – a long wall that stretched over 3 kilometers and protected the Episcopal City and its treasures. Speaking of treasures, during the construction of the square’s underground parking, they unearthed an arch of an old bridge that once spanned the moat in front of the Vigan gate. And if you look just above the building with the clock on its façade, you’ll spot an old watchtower, now part of the Town Hall.
Today, Vigan Square is lined with all kinds of shops and it’s a peaceful haven right at the heart of the city. And guess what? There are exactly 81 water jets – a clever nod to the Tarn department’s number!
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