Cahors () is a commune in southwestern France. It is in Occitanie. Cahors is the prefecture (capital) of the Lot department. It is also the capital of 3 cantons: Cahors-1, Cahors-2 and Cahors-3.
Cahors was the capital of the old province of Quercy and the people of this city are known, in French, as cadurciens (women: cadurciennes). This name comes from the old name of the city, Carduca.
History
Cahors is an ancient town. The people that inhabited the area at the time of the Roman conquest were called Carduci and so the Romans named the town as Divona or Divona Cadurcorum, "Divona of the Cadurci"; Divona was a source of water, now called "fontaine des Chartreux". The word Cahors comes from Cadurcorum.
Geography
Cahors is located in the southwest of France, in the old province of Quercy, in the valley of the Lot river, and is found in a peninsula () formed by an U-shaped meander of that river which gives its name to the department.
It has an area of and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .
The commune is at north of Toulouse and is surrounded by the communes Mercuès, Calamane, Pradines, Arcambal, Lamagdelaine, Laroque-des-Arcs, Trespoux-Rassiels, Labastide-Marnhac, Le Montat and Flaujac-Poujols.
Climate
The climate of Cahors, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.
Population
With a population of 19,630, Cahors has a population density of inhabitants/km2.
Evolution of the population in Cahors
Cahors forms, together with the commune Pradines, the urban area of Cahors, with a population of 23,090 inhabitants (2013) and an area of . This urban area is the centre of the metropolitan area of Cahors, formed by 44 communes with a population of 44,255 inhabitants (2013) and an area of .
Administration
Cahors is the prefecture of the Lot department, the capital of the arrondissement of Cahors and the administrative centre () of the Cahors-1, Cahors-2 and Cahors-3 cantons.
It is part of the intercommunality Le Grand Cahors ().
Places of interest
Some places of interest are: Pont Valentré (Valentré Bridge, ), a symbol of the town across the Lot river. It was built between 1308 and 1378. Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors (Cahors Cathedral), a national monument in France. Arc de Diane (Diane's Arch), remains of Roman baths. Saint-Barthélémy Church (14th century). Maison Henri IV or Hôtel de Roaldès (15th century).
Gallery
References
Related pages
Arrondissement of Cahors
Communes of the Lot department
Other websites
Ville de Cahors - Official website
Office de Tourisme de Grand Cahors (in English: Grand Cahors Tourist Office )