Marminiac is a rural commune in the Lot, in the Bouriane country beside the Dordogne department. Its 22.88 square kilometres rise and fall between 177 and 343 metres, and the stream Masse begins here. INSEE’s municipal population for the whole commune was 349 in reference year 2023, published on 27 August 2026 using the geography effective 1 January 2026; the figure describes the entire commune, not only the small settlement around the square. The scale is intimate, but its story reaches from a medieval church to a twentieth-century refuge for artists.
Hills, hamlets and the village centre
Marminiac’s character comes from its dispersed rural landscape: wooded slopes, fields, farmsteads and small hamlets are linked by local roads and walking paths. The municipal territory touches Dordogne, while the Masse’s source is a reminder that this is a headwater landscape. In the centre, the intercommunal profile identifies the covered market hall and the “Tower of the English,” now used as the town hall. It does not establish the tower’s name or construction date, so the label is best treated as local heritage rather than a verified episode of English occupation.
What the heritage record says—and what remains uncertain
The same official profile dates the parish church to the twelfth century and notes a wooden Virgin from the fifteenth. It also lists the chapel at Boissièrette and the Château de Romiguière. The suggestion that Romiguière served as a stop on the Way of Saint James is presented there as a possibility, not as a documented itinerary; no firm route history should be inferred from the tradition alone.
A better-documented, more recent chapter is Marminiac’s role as a place of refuge during the Second World War. The municipality’s account of an exhibition at Cahors’s Musée Henri-Martin names artists who sheltered at Benauge, Boissièrette, Rigals and Cazettes, and credits local residents with helping them. Roger Bissière, who died at Marminiac in 1964, is represented in that account by Boissièrette V, a work dated 1945. The exhibition page records the 2022 reopening programme and past displays; it should not be read as a promise that the same exhibition is currently on view.
A living rural economy
Agriculture remains central to the commune’s identity. INSEE counted eight employer establishments at the end of 2024: one in agriculture, forestry or fishing; three in construction; two in commerce, transport or other services; and two in public administration, education, health or social care. This is a small statistical count of employer establishments, not a list of all farms, self-employed residents or current shops. The municipality’s own directory gives a more local sense of activity, listing vegetable growers, honey producers, wine, forest work and building trades. Its offers and opening hours can change, so check with providers before making a special trip.
Walk to Boissièrette
The official Circuit de Boissièrette is a marked 6.41-kilometre loop, listed at about two hours with 220 metres of ascent and descent. It starts in Marminiac and reaches the hamlet through forest paths and dry-stone walls. The route listing describes a sustained climb soon after departure and artworks and installations by Louttre.B in a natural setting, accompanied by an audio guide prepared by the artist’s family. It is an outing for walking shoes rather than a flat stroll. Although the route page marked it open when consulted, check its latest status, fire restrictions, weather and any access notices before setting off; respect private land around the chapel and cemetery.
Practical stops
The mairie is at 5 Place du Puits in Le Bourg and can be reached at 05 65 22 83 39. Official municipal pages show differing opening schedules, so telephone ahead rather than relying on a single timetable. France Services and additional administrative help are offered in nearby Cazals, Salviac and Frayssinet-le-Gélat; Marminiac’s municipal site also keeps directories for local businesses and accommodation. Confirm service availability and appointments. For the village, its heritage and the route, begin with the links below.
