Old inn of the Lion of Gold, Building in Aurillac, France
The Ancienne auberge du Lion d'Or is an old stone building at the center of Aurillac, now used as a farm. The stable is its most intact section, with six vaulted bays resting on thick walls and stone pillars, a stone-slab floor, a feeding trough, and a drainage channel.
The building has been recorded as an inn since the early 1700s, serving travelers passing through the region. It was later altered during the Second Empire in the mid-1800s, before eventually taking on its current role as a farm.
The building sits on a square that was laid out in 1870 after the local cemetery was moved, just north of the village church. That location made it a natural gathering point, and on rainy days village meetings moved inside its walls instead of taking place on the open square.
The building stands at the village center, just north of the main church, and is easy to spot from the main square. Since it is a working farm, access is limited to the exterior, so a walk around the outside is the best way to take it in.
The stable connects directly to the living spaces on both the ground floor and the first floor through two internal doors, which shows how closely people and animals shared the same building in daily life. Above the main door, there is a small triangular opening that was likely made for ventilation or to let in light.
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