Figeac (; oc, Fijac) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Lot Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas * Land lot, an area of land * Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...

department in south-western

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Figeac is a sub-prefecture of the department.

Geography

Figeac is on the

via Podiensis The Via Podiensis or the Le Puy Route is one of the four routes through France on the pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Great in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. It leaves from Le-Puy-en-Velay and crosses the countryside ...

, a major hiking medieval pilgrimage trail which is part of the Way of St. James. Today, as a part of France's system of trails it is labelled the GR 65.

Figeac station Figeac is a railway station in Figeac, Occitanie, France. The station is a ''keilbahnhof'', situated at the junction of the Brive–Toulouse (via Capdenac) railway and Figeac–Arvant railway lines. The station is served by Intercités de nuit ...

is a railway junction with connections to Brive-la-Gaillarde, Toulouse, Aurillac and Rodez.

Population

Notable people

Jean-François Champollion Jean-François Champollion (), also known as Champollion ''le jeune'' ('the Younger'; 23 December 17904 March 1832), was a French philologist and orientalist, known primarily as the decipherer of Egyptian hieroglyphs and a founding figure in th ...

, the first translator of Egyptian hieroglyphics, was born in Figeac, where there is a

Champollion Museum The Champollion Museum (french: Musée Champollion) is located in Figeac, Lot. It houses a collection devoted to Figeac's most famous son, Jean-François Champollion. It was inaugurated 19 December 1986 in the presence of President François ...

. His father had married a woman from Figeac and opened a bookshop in the village. On the ''"Place des écritures"'' (writings place) is a giant copy of the

Rosetta stone The Rosetta Stone is a stele composed of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in Memphis, Egypt, in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle te ...

, by

Joseph Kosuth Joseph Kosuth (; born January 31, 1945), an American conceptual artist, lives in New York and London,

. French explorer and archeologist

Théodore Ber Théodore Ber (7 March 1820 – 21 November 1900), was a French archaeologist and anthropologist who spent most of his adult life in Peru. Although an amateur, his work was appreciated by some scholars and officially recognized by the French gove ...

was born in Figeac, although he spent most of his adult life in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. German film historian Lotte H Eisner hid from the Nazis in Figeac during World War II. Actor

Charles Boyer Charles Boyer (; 28 August 1899 – 26 August 1978) was a French-American actor who appeared in more than 80 films between 1920 and 1976. After receiving an education in drama, Boyer started on the stage, but he found his success in American fi ...

and football player

Vincent Beduer Vincent Beduer (born 17 March 1987 in Figeac) is a French professional football player. Currently, he plays in the Championnat National for Aviron Bayonnais FC. He played on the professional level in Ligue 2 for Montpellier HSC Montpell ...

were also born in Figeac.

Media

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both Cinema of France, French cinema and Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a fi ...

's 1974 film, '' Lacombe Lucien'', was filmed in Figeac.

References

External links