Fire at the Condom cloister: the Minister of Culture will come to the site in the coming weeks

On the very evening of the disaster, last Friday, while the firefighters were still working to put out the fire which struck the historic heart of the city, the Condom city benefited from a lot of support.

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Many elected officials from Ténarèze were there, throughout this evening of worry and desolation, alongside Mayor Jean-François Sabathier and elected officials from Condom, to give them their support, as did the president of the council. departmental and cantonal councilors in particular.

Also present during this terrible evening, the prefect of Gers, Alain Castanier, and the sub-prefect Nathalie Duclovel-Pame, neighbor of the scene of the tragedy, were again present with most of these first supporters, this Tuesday morning, to attend the signing of the collection agreement between the municipality and the Heritage Foundation.

On this occasion, Alain Castanier recalled that Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture, had, personally, on Friday evening, “expressed her deep emotion and support” to Jean-François Sabathier. The prefect also announced the visit of the Minister of Culture to Condom in the coming weeks, for an update on the situation and the actions to be taken.

In front of this west wing of the damaged cloister, Anne-Marie Leroy, Occitanie-Pyrénées regional delegate for the Heritage Foundation, recalled that this cloister, where many events are held, and its library with thousands of works, that Condom had seen affected. She explained that this collection, in which all citizens will be able to participate, will reduce the sum, undoubtedly still significant, which will remain the responsibility of the municipality after the institutional partners (departmental council, region, state, etc.) have made a contribution.

With the Heritage Foundation, patrons are also mobilized and, already, three of them have placed themselves among the ranks of partners who will help restore the damaged part of the historic monument and the thousands of works from the city’s historical collection impacted by the fire.

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Fire at the Condom cloister: 90% of structures impacted… Citizens, elected officials, Minister of Culture and Heritage Foundation mobilized

Aymeri de Montesquiou was also present alongside Mayor Jean-François Sabathier to give him a first check from the Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac, whose squadrons around the world were informed of the “catastrophe”.

“The cloister is the beating heart of our city”

The great annual chapter of the Company is in fact one of the many events hosted by the Condom cloister. This cloister is also a place of passage for pilgrims, of visit for tourists, of celebration during the bandas festival, setting for numerous cultural events, fairs and shows, gateway to the media library and reading for the inhabitants of a large living area.

“The cloister is more than a setting that we visit,” recalled Jean-François Sabathier. “This place has been at the heart of our city for centuries. It is its beating heart. It dates back to the 16th century and has had many uses. After the Revolution, it was even used as a winery and stable. Bought by the commune in 1861, restored by it, this historic building, classified as hosted the town hall and, since 2019, the Yves-Navarre media library.”

He looked to the future, emphasizing that the city was not alone in this ordeal. “Today we are gathered to act. Restoring such a monument is a collective work. We will restore this roof, save what can be from our collections and restore its panache. It will not only be a repair: it will be a rebuilding.”