Inside of Belcastel

The Belcastel castle is a medieval castle, built in 9th century, and it grew at the hands of the Belcastel family. Later, for many decades, it was the seat of the famed Saunhac family.The Château de Belcastel was officially declared a historic monument by the French Ministry of Culture in 1928. The famous French architect Fernand Pouillon (1912-1986) discovered the castle in ruins in 1974. Pouillon decided to reconstruct the fortress, which had been abandoned since at least the 17th century. Pouillon himself undertook the restoration by hand, along with the help of a dozen Algerian stone masons, and 10 stained-glass experts. The work lasted only 8 years and called for great courage from him and his colleagues, due to the enormity of the undertaking, the château's dangerous location, and the fact that no machines were used in the daring reconstruction.

Bez Bedene

A gorgeous village of 8 houses in north of Aveyron district. An ancient priory (hermitage established in the mid-11th century by the future Saint Gausbert) perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Selve river.The word "bedene" or "viadene" means the 10th roman route. There is a roman bridge part of this roman route.

Ferme Auberge de Mejanasserre

I recommend you when you visit Entraygues-sur-Truyere to ask for Ferme Auberge de Mejanasserre.
A small place of Paradise. Where everybody can sleep or relax and eat good food.

Le Chateau de Fayet

Build during the Renaissance for the Castelnau family, then added on to by Jean V d'Arpajoun, the chateau, on the slight rise, was conceived for entertainingindeed. Henri IV once stayed here.

Abbaye de Sylvanes

Sylvanès is an architectural gem, one of the best known of its style in France and by all Romanesque art specialists abroad.

Estaing

The Estaing village is on the route of the important pilgrim trails to Santiago de Compostela.
The village is dominated by the Chateau of the Estaing family, also dating from the 15th century (currently owned by ex-President of France Valery Giscard d'Estaing). Estaing itself is a very attractive medieval town, with lots of fine medieval / renaissance houses to admire.

Entraygues-sur-Truyère

Entraygues-sur-Truyere is a small, charming medieval village, nestled in the junction of the flowing River Lot and River Truyere.
Vineyards situated on the precipitous slopes above the River Lot and the River Truyere produce red, white and rosé wines that are light and perfumed.
With my friends I visited a wine producer named Jean Marc Viguier.

Aveyron 360 degree

This thursday I was invided to a vernissage of of photographyer Gilles Tordjeman in Arvieu, a small village of Aveyron.
http://www.aveyron360.com

La Chartreuse St-Sauveur (Villefranche sur Roergue)

The Chartreuse Saint Sauveur was builded in 1452 by a rich textil trader for the Carthusian monks community.

The Chartreuse Saint Sauveur has a lovely cloister - one of the largest in France - and some good woodcarvings on the interior stalls.

Journées européennes du patrimoine

The week-end of 21-22 September 2008 was the Journées européennes du patrimoine or Heritage days of Europe. All the government buildings are free open to the public all the week-end all over Europe. For me, I take this opportunity to visit some villages in district of Aveyron and and district of Lot (both in France).
First we planned to visit Villefrance-de-Rouergue, a commune in the district of Aveyron.
We heard beautiful stories from our guide. The Count of Toulouse builded this "bastide" to control and populate his lands. At the end of the Albigensian Crusade from the northern "barons" against the southern Occitania on a religious pretext (fighting the Cathar heresy), the Count of Toulouse was defeated and concluded the treaty of Paris in 1229. By this treaty he gave the Rouergue county to his daughter who became the wife of Alphones de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis, king of France. Alphonse founded Villefranche on the place of an old village called La Peyrade in 1252.