The best road cycling routes around Brax

An amazing little stop in a gorgeous sleepy town on top of a hill. The hill on which Clermont-Dessous is built dominates the Garonne and commands the right bank near Port-Sainte-Marie . The hill must have been fortified as early as the 11th century. The castle protects the weakest part of the hill, near the neighboring hills; it is cut off from the village by a ditch. The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste was also the castle chapel and participated in the defense of the castle. In 1221 the castle was besieged unsuccessfully by Amaury de Montfort. The castrum is mentioned for the first time in the Saisimentum of 1271. It depends on the "baylie" of Port-Sainte-Marie; the castle played an important role during the Hundred Years' War  ; its keep must date from the 13th century  or the beginning of the 14th century. In 1437, the "routiers" having seized the castle, it was necessary to raise a contribution to buy it back. The castle and the lordship belonged successively to the families: Lamothe, lords of Bruch, in the 12th century; de Pardaillan de Gondrin - old noble Gascon family which in the 16th century gave  a governor of Agenais and Condomois , then in the following century the first Duke of Antin , legitimized son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan  ; in the 14th century , Ferrand; Malvezin de Lassale in 1425, and the Benquet, Péticlo, Monorgon, Rémefa, Yzalguier in 1451 (or 1490?), of Narbonne-Lara from 1579; Chapt de Rastignac in 1705. Pierre II de Secondat (1490-1560) was lord of Clermont-Dessous and Roques, then from 1564 his son, Jean II de Secondat (1515-1599), lord of Montesquieu and Roquefort . Co-lord Jacques Yzalguier (or d'Isalguier), lord, baron of Clermont-Dessous and Clermont-le-Fort , married theOctober 20, 1526one of his daughters, Antoinette, to Blaise de Monluc , at the church of Clermont. The dwelling was remodeled in the 15th century  by a co-lord, perhaps Lérôme-Patrice de Monorgon, co-lord who died in 1506, or Jacques Yzalguier. A second main building was built to the north, at the end of the 15th century  or at the beginning of the 16th century ; the facades of old houses, notably in the village of Saint-Médard and the hamlet of Bessou, have retained mullioned windows which could date from this period. Maximilien de Narbonne, lord of Talairan , Combebonnet and Montlau, married in 1579 Isabeau de Cours, daughter of Jean de Cours, lady of Clermont near Port-Sainte-Marie; their son was Jean de Narbonne, lord of Clermont, Combebonnet and Montlau, himself married to Anne Bouchard d'Aubeterre , from whom Louis de Narbonne-Lara (1635-1705), known as "the count of Clermont", lord of Montfort and Combebonnet who had from his marriage with Madeleine de Souillac d'Azerac, Marie-Anne de Narbonne-Lara, lady of Clermont and Combebonnet, married in 1701 with Jacques-Gabriel Chapt, count of Rastignac, baron of Luzech, received "page of the King in his great stable" in 1693, brother of Louis-Jacques Chapt de Rastignac , archbishop of Tours . In 1705 the lordship entered the Chapt de Rastignac family; Jacques-Gabriel Chapt de Rastignac died without issue in 1755, his wife had died in 1703. By his will of 1732, Chapt de Rastignac had given the usufruct of all his property to his sister Jeanne, Marquise de Gaubert, and appointed Pierre Louis Chapt de Rastignac, Count of Puyguilhem, his universal heir. Zénaïde-Sabine de Chapt de Rastignac, Marquise de Rastignac (great-granddaughter of Pierre Louis Chapt, and only daughter of Pierre Jean Julie Chapt , Marquis de Rastignac, and Françoise Charlotte Ernestine de La Rochefoucaud - Doudeauville), married in 1817 to François XIV Marie Auguste Émilien de La Rochefoucauld, Prince of Marcillac then Duke of Liancourt. His portrait is kept at the castle of La Rochefoucauld. In 1818 the lord was the Marquis Pierre Jean Chapt de Rastignac, deputy of Lot and peer of France, who had the Château de Rastignac built, a neo-Palladian style residence which would have served as a model for the American presidential palace. The castle, which fell into ruin in the 19th century  and was then partially restored, is listed as a historic monument .June 20, 1950.

Construction of the Agen canal bridge was almost halted permanently due to competition from waterways and the railway. Its history is, of course, closely linked to that of the entire Canal Lateral. On August 25, 1839, the foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Orléans, eldest son of Louis-Philippe, and Princess Helene of Mecklenburg, his wife. In 1841, work was halted. The bridge would be used for a time by farmers' carts to avoid a detour via the old stone bridge. On May 5, 1846, a law mandated the resumption of work, and the bridge was completed in 1847. But that wasn't the end of the worries. This bridge could perhaps have become a railway bridge: In 1850, those who exclusively supported the railway raised the question of filling in the canal cut (in its entirety) to lay the tracks. It wasn't until March 1856 that the entire Garonne lateral canal was completed. This bridge itself is 539 meters long, 12.48 meters wide, 2.70 meters deep, and has 23 arches. The waterway is 8.80 meters wide, which prevents crossings. Holding basins were built on either side of the aqueduct. The civil engineers Jean-Baptiste de Baudre and Jean Gratien de Job were responsible for its construction. It is made entirely of freestone from Quercy.

From the Route des Crêtes, you can enjoy beautiful views of the fortified village of Clermont-Dessous. Situated on a hillside, it preserves the remains of ramparts, a beautiful Romanesque church, and a typically Gascon charm.

[In Advent] "we hear in the Gospel the beginning of the ministry of John the Baptist. He appears in the desert and calls people to conversion so that they may prepare for the coming of the Lord. His call reminds us that Advent is not only a time of waiting, but also of interior preparation. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths" (Luke 3:4). John's message challenges us to examine our lives. What "rough paths" and "crooked roads" are there in our hearts? Where have we perhaps distanced ourselves from God or lost sight of our fellow human beings? John invites us to remove these obstacles and reorient our lives. But his call has not only a personal dimension, but also a social one: the way of the Lord is a way of justice, peace and reconciliation. When we pave the way of the Lord, we bring light into the darkness of the world and hope into the hearts of people." (Text: Michael Inden, Diocesan President of the KAB in the Archdiocese of Cologne)

to do

Great restaurant at the Café de la Paix, unique menu with delicious local produce

Saint John the Baptist (Saint Jean Baptiste), to whom this church in Clermont-Dessous is dedicated, is - like Saint Joseph - a man on the threshold of the Old and New Testaments. His parents are Zacharias and Elisabeth, and after the announcement of the Incarnation of God through them, the Mother of God visits her relative Elisabeth, who will give birth to a son in her old age, namely John the Baptist. He is half a year older than Jesus and is considered his forerunner/pioneer. He lives in the desert, preaches repentance from sins to the Jewish population and baptizes them in the Jordan, where Jesus also comes to be baptized, and is filled with the Holy Spirit who descends upon him from heaven. The feast day of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in the calendar of saints is June 24, exactly half a year before 'Christmas Eve'.

Saint John the Baptist, to whom this church in Clermont-Dessous is dedicated, is—like Saint Joseph—a man at the threshold between the Old and New Testaments. His parents were Zechariah and Elizabeth. After the Annunciation of the Incarnation, the Virgin Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, who, in her old age, would give birth to a son, John the Baptist. He was six months older than Jesus and is considered his forerunner. He lived in the desert, preached repentance to the Jewish population, and baptized them in the Jordan River. Jesus also came to the Jordan to be baptized, and was filled with the Holy Spirit, who descended from heaven. The feast day of Saint John the Baptist in the liturgical calendar is June 24, exactly six months before Christmas Eve.