the surroundings
We have an astonishing panorama of mountains and valleys, farmlands and a lake. The lake is our private lake where our guests can swim and fish. La Maison au Romarin is 750m from through traffic between the meadows. You can find here your moments of peace. And for them whom love the excitement of traffic, people and city-life, find here what they are looking for. Rouergue, the area we’re living in, borders on: Lot (Cahors 1h), Haute Garonne (Toulouse 2h), Cantal (Aurillac), Tarn et Garonne (Montauban 1h30). So you’ll see, we’re living on a crossroad to many places.
A GRASP OF THE SURROUNDINGS
Belcastel
Belcastel is a 25 min drive from us. Its a small village in the Valley of the Aveyron with wooded slopes where you can make beautiful walks. You can enjoy the peace and quietness with your feet in the rippling waters of the Aveyron or strolling through the streets with restored houses, bread ovens and fountains and festivals in the streets during the summer weeks. Belcastel has a typical medieval appearance with a bridge from the 15th century and a castle from the 11th century.
The castle was restored by François Pouillon in the 1950s. The castle is a polygon with 5towers with in the middle the squarely Donjon.
Najac
Najac is located approximately 50mintus from us and was originally a castelnau (=new castle) that was enlarged to a bastide by Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis. Najac houses 14th century half-timbered houses and fountains with nice restaurants and health food shops. A little further, where the original hamlet galvanized in a sea of flowers, ivy and mossy stones, stands the Saint-Jean Church. This church was built by the residents who in 1258 were accused by the Inquisition of heresy. By building the church, which was obliged by the Inquisition, the Inquisition thought so to break the independence of the residents.
Along the paved road you reach the castle, strategically built to the river gorges of the Aveyron to guard and defend. It is a beautiful example of medieval architecture with loopholes of 6,8m deep. The Donjon looks down on the river Aveyron, about 200m downstream, the forest and the pool of Najac.
Rodez
Rodez is situated 35 min from us at the River Aveyron and is a prefecture with his own airfield "Rodez Marcillac Airport". Its rich in history through the many sieges and changing rulers. In the old town you walk through the historic streets with Gothic art and architecture from the XII up to and including XVI century. In the middle is the Cathédrale de Notre Dame with its magnificent Bell Tower and her statue of the Virgin Mary shown off at an altitude of 87m. On Friday morning there is a large market year-round, but in July there is the medieval market with craftsmen, jugglers and musicians in traditional costumes. Also there is the folklore festival in July Estivada Occitania. This is a cultural festival in the streets of the town with free concerts and shows.
Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Its a 20min drive to Villefranche-de-Rouergue. The village is a wonderful old fortified town with an almost perfect bastide town centre, with intact arcades around the edges of the square, Place Notre Dame, and attractive medieval houses above the arcades. One corner of the square is, to say the least, dominated by the Collegiale Church of Notre-Dame and its oversized belltower (58m) and entrance porch - take a look at the 15th century stained glass windows inside the church.
Every Thursday there is a market at the main square, Place Notre Dame, where everyone can sell his homemade jam and vegetables or flowers from his kitchen garden and home breed chicken from his yard.
More to know:
Villefranche has his own:
-monastery, up to day its a hospital.
-chapel, the Chapelle des Penitents-Noirs (17th century) with paintings on the ceiling
and a retable (framed altarpiece made out of wood) of the Baroque period.
-14th century fountain in the Place de la Fontaine opposite the town museum, the
Musee Urbain Cabrol.
-castle, chateau Graves.
-You should also wander down to the river, and take a look at the old stone bridge
(the Pont des Consuls) and the riverfront.
Villefranche:
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is a sub prefecture
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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 Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Saint Louis, king of France. Alphonse founded Villefranche on the place of an old village called La Peyrade in 1252.
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In 1256 the rules for trade were sealed and from that day on many rich merchants came to town.
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In 1347 they built a rampart.
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In 1628 one third of the people died of the plague.
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In 1779 it became de main city of the new province Haute-Guyenne which meant that the economy and the intellect life standard became on a higher level.
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During World War II, while occupied by Nazi Germany, Villefranche received a large13th Waffen SS Handschar (1st Croatian) division.Led by Ferid Džanić, Eduard Matutinović, Božo Jelinek and Nikola Vukelić, one battalion staged a rebellion against the Nazis on 17 September 1943, (Villefranche-de-Rouergue uprising) but were soon suppressed and mostly executed on site. The few that escaped inspired the French resistance in Aveyron that had not been formed until then. After the war, an avenue in Villefranche was named Avenue des Croates (Avenue of the Croats) in honor of the uprising.
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Has two main streets in the historic centre town, both attractive, that both lead to the main square and are lined with medieval houses in stone or half-timbered. Other smaller alleys radiate off from these in the centre.
Espalion
Espalion is a 1h 10 min drive from our place. On a large distance you can see the Château de Calmont d'Olt on a height of 535m standing on its basalts dike. Here you have a panoramic view: 100m below you see the village Espalion, you see the high plateau of Aubrac and the Valley of the River Lot.
The castle has a great historical value:
-by the discovery of a polished stone axe of 5000years old it has a archaeological
value.
- Because of its location it is of a great military historical value. The Castle controlled the route from Rodez to Aubrac + the crossing of the River Lot with the route Toulouse-Lyon. One began to build the castle in the 11th century. Through the centuries the castle developed. The wall with 8 towers in the 15th century was the last development. In the 16th century, the inhabitants took flight and the castle declined ruin.
-Its of great architectural value because the current castle shows his many adjustments through the ages. In particular the adjustments on the technical progress during The Hundred Years’ War.
-The castle is 1 of the 23 castles of the Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue. The theme is siege and warfare. Full size are the war machinery rebuilt:
-Tour de siège/beffroi/siege tower 15th century with projectiles.
-Couillard-15th century
- Trébuchet 14th century
- Pièrrière of Petrus de Ebulo or Peter of Eboli 12th century
- Pièrrière of siege of Toulouse13th century
- there are demonstrations of archery and swordsmanship. The children can dress up in style and graduating a Knight. Brings us his educational value.
Because the castle was purchased in 1987 by Thierry Plume and by the assistance of Bâtiments de France and regional archaeological services and the volunteers who work in summers together with the Castle team, it revives bit by bit.
Toulouse
Toulouse is the prefecture of the Department of Haut-Garonne in the South of France and the capital of the Midi-Pyrénées region. After Paris, Marseille and Lyon it is the 4th City of France.
It is known for its architecture and University. It was the 1st city in the 13th century in France besides Paris that had a university. The cultural centre of the Languedoc is known for its origins in the 8th century. And in the 20th century, Toulouse was the capital of everything that has to do with aviation and space travel. Airbus, ESA, Alcatel Espace and many other companies settled in Toulouse.
Sights:
-la Cathédrale Saint- Étienne
- monumental church Saint-Semin
- Le Capitole Abrite l'Hôtel de Ville
- Place du Capitole
- le Donjon du Capitole (Office du Tourisme)
- les quais et les berges de la Garonne
- le Bazacle
- le jardin des Plantes, le Grand-Rond
- le Jardin Royal
- le Jardin Japonais
- le Pont Neuf
- l'hôpital de la Grave en de Chapelle Saint-Joseph de la Grave
- le château d'eau
- le canal du Midi
- le Pont Saint-Pierre
- la place Wilson
- la Gare Matabiau
- la prison Saint-Michel
- la stèle des martyrs de Bordelongue
- le Palais Niel
- les arènes romaines
- les archives municipales
- Cité de l'Espace