Villages

As I mentioned in an earlier post,  Aveyron boasts ten villages that fall within the classification of a 1901 association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages in France). In the course of our 10 days in Aveyron, we visited 21 villages and passed through many others, without stopping. Today, I’ve selected a few scenes from the communities we did visit, obviously a small sample of the many memorable and quaint, small towns and villages we enjoyed.

First, I’m including one place we didn’t visit, Clairvaux d’Aveyron. We did pause for this beautiful view of the town nestled in the picturesque valley of Ady.

One of the first villages we saw was Gramond. It has all the hallmarks of the charming villages of Aveyron, but I’m including something a little different from Gramond. Every village has it old stone buildings, an ancient church, cobblestone streets, a meandering river, a stone bridge and quaint cafés. Only in Gramond  did I spot the traditional way of drying the laundry.

Of course, every community must have merchants to meet its inhabitants’ every day needs. This corner shop, La Tabatière sells newspapers, magazines, stationery, tobacco and well….you name it. It occupies a very old building, maintaining the architectural norms of the community. No 7-11 Store here!

This scene is from a very old village near the Viaduc de Millau, certainly a contrast between the new and the old. Peyre is built on a hillside and from what I could see, every home has a magnificent view of the Viaduc.

My next two pictures are from the Village of Belcastel, perhaps the most beautiful one we visited and definitely a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. The first picture offers a glimpse of the village, focused on one of its centre-pieces, Sainte Marie-Madeleine Church. I took the picture from a window in the Château de Belcastel,  a medieval castle situated in a commanding position above the village. The story of the castle’s restoration from ruins to its present grandeur is a great story, one you can find here..http://en.tourisme-aveyron.com/en/discover/unmissables/belcastel.php

One of my favourite photographs from this holiday is this view of Sainte Marie-Madeleine Church, taken from the Vieux Pont, crossing the Aveyron River at Belcastel.

The final shot for this post is a picture of a church, the Abbey Church of Saint Foy, in the village of Conques. Every village has an old, stone church, many dating back to medieval times. This one is quite unique. If you look at the windows, they are not traditional stained glass. The original windows were replaced with a more modern design by Pierre Soulages, over 7 years 1987-94. Soulages is a famous French artist, born in the nearby city of Rodez. The glass used by Soulages is colourless and translucent, diffusing the light from outside without influencing the natural colours of the stone inside. The church is on the pilgrimage route to Santiago da Compostela, and is listed as a historic monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.