Villebourbon is named in honor of Henri de Navarre, future Henri IV and first king of the Bourbon line who, during the Wars of Religion, united two old suburbs behind an imposing fortification, giving birth to a new district. This then housed many industries, tile factories, flour mills and dyeing factories which took advantage of the proximity of the Tarn. Along the quay are aligned large mansions built in the 17th and 18th centuries by wealthy entrepreneurs and textile merchants, whose vaulted rooms on the ground floor housed workshops and warehouses.
The Tarn is a capricious river. Regularly in flood, its overflows are constantly felt in the city and in particular in the Villebourbon district. Moreover, one of the most disastrous episodes of the city in the twentieth century is due to a flood. While strolling on the quays on the banks of the Tarn, you will surely notice the flood scale which recalls the flood of March 1930 during which the waters rose to 11 meters 50 above their lower bed and ravaged the district. A Montalbanais is also illustrated during this episode, Adolphe Poult (whose docks bear the name today) sacrificed his life to save dozens of residents from drowning. Today, the city is equipped with flood walls, large gates that close in the event of a flood and considerably reduce the risk of flooding. You can observe its walls during your walks along the Tarn.
Designed by architect Marcel Renard, the covered market was inaugurated in April 1935. The architect took full advantage of the possibilities offered by reinforced concrete combined with glass to build a bright and functional building, a large single nave 24 meters long. over 12 meters wide. The markets were held there until 1967, the building then experiencing various uses which modify its interior layout. The covered market has been protected as a historical monument since 2005.
With the exception of the bell tower, the church inaugurated in 1891 is the work of the diocesan architect Léopold Gardelle. In 1930, it resisted the flood which partially destroyed the Villebourbon district. Paradoxically, this disaster allowed the building to be completed: thanks to the generosity of the Paris town hall to the affected city, the bell tower could finally be built by the architect Germain Olivier. With its 65 meters in height, it is considered the highest in the department. The church houses an exceptional set of André Rapp stained glass windows, some representing the heroic act of Adolphe Poult.
