Caniac du Causse, a samll village of Quercy
Caniac du Causse is a small village located east of the bastide town of Labastide-Murat, in the Causse de Gramat. This striated limestone plateau, which rises to an altitude of 300 metres, is one of the four Causses of Quercy.
Spectacular canyons, caves and ravines crisscross this untamed region, which boasts some iconic historical sites.
These include the Padirac Chasm, the Rocamadour pilgrimage centre, and of course, Labastide-Murat, the birthplace of Joachim Murat, one of Napoleon’s brothers-in-law.
Caniac du Causse is certainly tiny compared to these towns and sites, but it is also one of the oldest inhabited sites in the Causse, with traces of human occupation dating back to the Bronze Age.
However, the first official mention of the village dates back to 624 AD.
Caniac du Causse – Saint-Martin Church
The Saint-Martin Church in Caniac du Causse is placed under the protection of Saint Namphaise, a monk who founded a monastery at the nearby Gouffre de Lantouy in the 8th century and retired there as a hermit.
Amazingly, he spent his days carving porous limestone to create rainwater collection basins. He is said to have created more than 800 small ponds that provided water for wild and domestic animals!
In this arid region where water is so scarce and therefore so precious, this fact alone could justify his canonisation!
Saint Namphaise is also remembered for his gift of healing epileptics. The 12th-century crypt, located beneath the nave, houses the reliquary of the holy man. A few steps lead down to a small room where a floor-level window lets enough light through to glimpse the statue of Saint Namphaise, placed atop the large stone tomb that contains his remains.
His tomb is indeed raised, so that pilgrims can slip inside. It is believed that rubbing one’s shoulders against the underside of the tomb increases the chances of recovery! The feast of Saint Nampaise takes place on November 12th.
Caniac du Causse gained greater renown after the Second World War, when it received the Médaille de la Résistance (Resistance Medal) in recognition of its role in supporting the local maquis. The resistance fighters indeed met at the village bakery and enjoyed the support of all the villagers.
Department of Lot
Coordinates: Lat 44.621068 – Long 1.642689
Credits: Photos and source article atelier434 Melanged Magic by Evelyn Jackson – Edited by and for Travel France Online
