These are two major archaeological sites, classified as World Heritage by Unesco, which had been offered for sale by a real estate agency for a few days. Located in the Dordogne in the mythical Vézère valley – which has other exceptional heritage sites in terms of prehistory, starting with the famous decorated cave of Lascaux… – the shelters of Eyzies-de-Tayac and Saint-Circq are on about to be taken over by the state.
The prefect of Dordogne, Jean-Sébastien Lamontagne, hinted at this in his speech delivered on Friday, June 16, during the celebrations for the centenary of the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies. Confirmed in Point by the Ministry of Culture, the public offer is however below the price requested by the seller (2.2 million euros). The estimate of the premises made by the Regional Directorate of Public Finance varies between 1 and 1.5 million euros. The State services are preparing to contact the seller to communicate it to him. “There will be no preemption,” said a source familiar with the matter.
Contacted by Le Point, Jean-Max Touron reserves his response to the prefectural services which will contact him. “I want to be sure that I’m going to break even,” he says, arguing that he had to buy up significant land holdings surrounding these caves. For the Cro-Magnon shelter: three inhabited houses adjoining the cavity, a plot of 100 square meters and a large meadow belonging to the SNCF to create a parking lot. For “the sorcerer’s cave”: two houses and a pre-existing museum.
He declares having spent more than 2 million euros in the acquisition of these lands as well as in the development work (he declares that the electricity has been completely redone). “I’ve been wanting to sell for four years. In 2019, I had already told the sub-prefect and the prefect,” he said. “But it’s true that Covid and containment have been there in the meantime,” he adds.
Several individuals have reportedly come forward for a few days to visit the premises. “But their offers are also lower than the asking price,” slips a source who follows the case closely. “In the worst case, if no one gives me what I want, I will withdraw my property from the sale”, threatens Mr. Touron who is considering parting with other real estate. In addition to 14 monuments open to visitors (including two castles, a fort and a manor), Jean-Max Touron, 82, has acquired, over time, eight other caves and prehistoric sites in the Périgord. “Sites that are not yet accessible to the public but which certainly deserve to be”, he concludes.