Belcastel ranked among Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Nestled in a picturesque, steep valley along the meanders of the Aveyron, Belcastel is listed among the Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France).
It is indeed renowned for its old stone houses, roofed with slabs of local stone (lauze), and its narrow, winding streets, locally known as calades, which meander around its imposing 13th-century castle.
The castle of Saunhac family, was severely damaged during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, but was renovated, enlarged, and fortified over the following two centuries.
In the 15th century, Alzais Saunhac, lord of Belcastel, also commissioned a magnificent bridge spanning the Aveyron to connect the village to a newly built church on the opposite bank.
This picturesque bridge is celebrated every year during a photography and painting competition organised by the city council.
It leads to the Church of Sainte-Marie Madeleine, where you will find a stunning Stations of the Cross created by the contemporary artist Casimir Ferrer, medieval stone sculptures and of course the tomb of Alzais Saunhac.
Belcastel, however, was abandoned at the end of the 16th century and gradually fell into oblivion.
Château de Belcastel today
The architect Ferdinand Pouillan purchased the castle in the 1970s.
For eight years, Pouillan meticulously restored the castle to its former glory. He used traditional methods and called upon a team of skilled Algerian stonemasons who extracted the stone from the nearby hill and painstakingly rebuilt towers and turrets by hand, without resorting to cranes or modern machinery.
An American couple took over the management of the castle after Pouillan’s death and opened it to the public.
Today, Belcastel Castle has regained its former splendour and houses splendid collections of 16th-century armour and contemporary art.
Belcastel also has a museum dedicated to three essential village trades: blacksmithing, shoemaking and fishing.
Another site of interest nearby: the Fort du Lourdou, nestled at the foot of the Roc d’Anglars, about 500 metres downstream on the Aveyron. This 5th-century outpost, now in ruins, once protected the fortress of Belcastel.
Department of Aveyron
Coordinates: Lat 44.387444 – Long 2.334556
Credits: Photos Evelyn Jackson – Wikimedia Commons: Header by Belcastel Aveyron CC BY-SA 4.0
