ClasséArchaeological site · protected 1977Site archéologique de la grotte du CalelPart of the building is protectedPhoto: JYB Devot · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Ecole · Photo: JYB Devot · CC BY-SA 4.05historic monuments
History of Sorèze · Monuments historiques
5 historic monuments, the oldest from prehistory
Part of the town has been a protected historic area, a site patrimonial remarquable, since 2018. The Culture ministry lists 5 historic monuments in Sorèze: 3 classé (France’s highest heritage protection) and 2 inscrit (the second level). That’s 17 for every 10,000 residents, more per resident than 93% of compared French towns; the median compared French town has 2.5. We have photos of 5 of them.
Monuments historiques
5
17 per 10,000 residents
median compared town 2.5
median compared town 2.5
Classé
3
the highest protection
Inscrit
2
the second level
Oldest part
Prehistory
of any listed monument
Homes before 1919
19%
median compared town 7.4%
In pictures
Sorèze in 5 photos
Nearly every classé monument, photographed. Tap a photo to step through them full screen.
Ancienne église Saint-MartinClassé
Site archéologique de la grotte du CalelClassé
Canal du Midi : prise d'eau de Pont-CrouzetInscrit
Site archéologique du castrum de RoquefortInscrit+1See all photosPhotos from Wikimedia Commons, copied to our own server, each credited to its photographer with its license; names open the monument’s page.
How old
How old Sorèze’s monuments are
Each monument once, by the oldest part the list dates.
Prehistory & Antiquity to the 4th c.1
Middle Ages 5th–15th c.2
16th to 18th century Renaissance to Revolution2
19th century 1801–19000
20th century and later since 19010
3 of 5 dated monuments have parts from before 1500. The oldest dated: Site archéologique de la grotte du Calel (Prehistory).
Map
Where Sorèze’s monuments stand
Every monument with a point on the ministry’s list; the larger, darker dots are classé.
ClasséInscrit
Tap a dot to open the monument’s page: its record, photo and the monuments around it.
5 monuments by protection
3 Classé2 Inscrit
Classé is the higher protection: any work on the building needs the State’s permission. Work on an inscrit building must be declared to the State in advance. Around both, building work in sight of the monument (usually within 500 m) needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
Points as the ministry gives them: a monument spread over several plots has one point.
Classé
3 classé monuments in Sorèze
Classé is France’s highest protection for a building, held by about a third of the monuments on the list. 2 of the 3 are protected in part only (a façade, a roof, a room). Each card opens the monument’s page.
ClasséChurch · protected 1879Ancienne église Saint-MartinPart of the building is protectedPhoto: MOSSOT · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
ClasséInscrit
2 inscrit monuments in Sorèze
Inscrit is the second level of protection: the building is worth keeping, and any work on it must be declared.
InscritArchaeological site · protected 2010Site archéologique du castrum de RoquefortPhoto: Auteur inconnu Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
InscritCanal · protected 1998Canal du Midi : prise d'eau de Pont-CrouzetPhoto: Havang(nl) · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Protected area
Sorèze has had a protected historic area since 2018
Sites patrimoniaux remarquables on the Culture ministry’s list, with the plan in force.
| Area | Created as | Plan in force |
|---|---|---|
| SPR76-107 | AVAP March 15, 2018 | AVAP (heritage area rules) March 15, 2018 |
A site patrimonial remarquable protects a whole area rather than one building: inside it, building work follows the area’s own plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
The list gives no boundaries, so the map can’t show the area.
Age of homes
19% of homes in Sorèze were built before 1919
Main homes by when they were finished, beside the median compared French town (the tick).
19%
Before 1919
4.5%
1919–45
13%
1946–70
21%
1971–90
21%
1991–2005
22%
2006 on
SorèzeMedian compared French town
19% of its main homes were built before 1919; the median compared French town has 7.4%. More of them were finished since 2006 than in any other period (22%).
INSEE, census 2023: main homes (résidences principales) only; second homes and empty homes aren’t dated.
Born before 1900
7 people born in Sorèze before 1900
Their lives on one line.
Claude Devic
Jules-Antoine Paulin
Jean-Jacques Vidal
Auguste Pichon
Dominique Clos
Jean-Marcel Rodié
Jean Mistler
1650170017501800185019001950
DC
Dominique Clos1821–1908 · French botanist
JM
Jean Mistler1897–1988 · French politician
CD
Claude Devic1670–1734 · French monk
JA
Jules-Antoine Paulin1782–1876 · French general
JJ
Jean-Jacques Vidal1789–1867 · French conductor and violonist
AP
Auguste Pichon1805–1900 · French painter
JM
Jean-Marcel Rodié1879–1968 · French bishop
Everyone born in Sorèze Birthplaces from Wikidata, checked against Wikipedia.
Towns its size
Sorèze has the 3rd most monuments of 41 towns its size
Compared French towns of 2,900 to 3,000 residents, by historic monuments.
Sorèze5
#4 of 41for monuments per resident (17 per 10,000). Most per resident: La Ferté-en-Ouche, Rue and Tourouvre au Perche.
The median town of these has 2. 13 of the 41 have none.
Neighbors
Historic monuments in the towns around Sorèze
| Town | Residents | Monuments | Classé | Protected area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorèze | 2,965 | 5 | 3 | Yes |
| Revel Haute-Garonne | 9,762 | 6 | 1 | Yes |
| Soual | 2,637 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Puylaurens | 3,257 | 3 | 0 | Yes |
| Castelnaudary Aude | 12,151 | 17 | 4 | Yes |
| Saïx | 3,748 | 1 | 0 | — |
| Labruguière | 6,584 | 3 | 1 | Yes |
In brief
Sorèze in brief
The record in Sorèze starts with Site archéologique de la grotte du Calel, which dates from prehistory. All told, the list holds 5 historic monuments, 3 of them classé. For its size, it has more historic monuments than 93% of compared French towns. Of its homes, 19% were built before 1919, against 7.4% in the median compared French town.
Only 2 of the 41 towns nearest its size have more historic monuments. Part of it has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2018. Dominique Clos (1821), Jean Mistler (1897) and Claude Devic (1670) are among the 7 people born here before 1900. Beyond that, the list grew between 1879 and 2010.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Monuments historiques. France protects buildings at two levels. Classé, the higher (about a third of the list), means any work needs the State’s permission; inscrit means work must be declared to the State in advance. The Culture ministry’s Mérimée base lists every protected building, and this page counts them.
- Partly protected. Many entries protect part of a building only (its façades and roofs, a staircase, a painted room). Each counts as one monument, like a fully protected one.
- Where a monument is counted. In the commune named on its protection, moved to today’s commune where communes have since merged. A monument listed for several communes counts in each.
- Sites patrimoniaux remarquables. Since 2016 France’s protected historic areas (the former secteurs sauvegardés, ZPPAUP and AVAP) share one name. Inside one, building work follows the area’s plan and needs the agreement of the architecte des Bâtiments de France.
- What isn’t here. Protected objects (furniture, organs, paintings), old buildings with no protection, UNESCO World Heritage listings and labels such as “Plus Beaux Villages de France” aren’t on this list, so this page doesn’t count them.
- No History Grade yet. Everything on this page is described, not graded: France’s History Grade isn’t built yet.
Questions about the history of Sorèze
How many historic monuments are there in Sorèze?
The Culture ministry lists 5 historic monuments in Sorèze: 3 classé and 2 inscrit.
Which monuments in Sorèze are classé?
3, among them Site archéologique de la grotte du Calel and Ancienne église Saint-Martin.
How old are the monuments of Sorèze?
The oldest parts of its listed monuments date from prehistory.
Is Sorèze a protected historic area?
Yes: part of Sorèze has been a site patrimonial remarquable since 2018.
When were monuments in Sorèze first protected?
The first in 1879, the latest in 2010.
How old are the homes in Sorèze?
19% of its main homes were built before 1919 (median compared French town: 7.4%).
France has no History Grade yet: this page describes, it doesn’t grade.
Sources: Ministère de la Culture, Mérimée base on POP (immeubles protégés au titre des monuments historiques), October 2026 · Ministère de la Culture, sites patrimoniaux remarquables, October 2026 · INSEE, census 2023 (main homes by build period) · Wikidata and Wikipedia (people born here) · Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata (photos of the monuments, each with its own credit and license) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.