Attractions and Places To See around Sauveterre - Top 17

Built at the end of the 13th century and remodelled in the 18th century following a fire in 1562, then again in 1881, the village church forms a single-nave stone vessel with a polygonal apse. The choir (Radiant Gothic) is covered. The stained glass windows, in very vivid colour ranges, depict the lives of Christ and Saint-Hilaire.

Montcuq is a superb medieval hilltop village with a rich heritage in the heart of Quercy Blanc: La Tour de Montcuq: A majestic 12th-century keep that proudly overlooks the village. Built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries under the authority of the Counts of Toulouse.Destruction of the castle: During the Albigensian Crusade and the treaties with the King of France, the local lord had to dismantle the ramparts. Only this keep survived.Particularities: It has a rectangular (or trapezoidal) shape and a square turret housing a unique spiral staircase. Scientifically, the name has nothing lewd about it: it comes from the Occitan Moncuc, which simply means a conical hill or a fortified hill.

Lauzerte is a magnificent medieval bastide from the 12th century perched on a rocky outcrop. Lauzerte is an essential and mythical stop for pilgrims on the Via Podensis (the path from Le Puy-en-Velay). Founded by the Count of Toulouse, this ancient strategic town has a checkerboard architecture typical of the bastides of the Southwest.

Lauzerte is a magnificent medieval bastide from the 12th century perched on a rocky spur. Lauzerte is an essential and mythical stop for pilgrims on the Via Podensis (the route from Puy-en-Velay). Founded by the count of Toulouse, this ancient strategic city features a checkerboard architecture typical of the bastides of the Southwest.

A cozy town with many opportunities to stock up on provisions.

On the Way of St. James in Spain you can occasionally see similar constructions, which, however, do not represent pigeon houses, but used to serve as granaries. The essential detail of these buildings - standing on stilts - is the flat, plate- or lid-shaped end at the top of the supporting columns. This was of vital importance in ancient times, as they represent an insurmountable obstacle for voracious rodents such as mice or rats.

in Montcuq observe the sculptures of the St-Hilaire church, built around 1250/1270 in La COUnco (Conca in written oc, the SHELL) OUTSIDE the first ramparts (it replaced a primitive St-Sernin, located at the foot of the tower , Place del Plàn, west, therefore prior to Charlemagne) The church, said OUTSIDE the WALLS again in 1350, is marked by interior sculptures (transept, choir, apse) of the most esoteric...their hidden meanings are foreign to Christianity. ..Other old medieval houses are also rich in sculptures with secret meanings: house with the sign "Four 4", shortly after the town hall going up towards St-Hilaire, on the right, 13th century house at the bottom and on the right from the rue du Plàn, Very old names have been preserved: Pàtus (= small square) del Potz/Pouttss, Carriéro (= Rue) de l'Aste (de la Lance en oc: Asto), Carriéro Dréytsho (rue Droite) d 'others, known: quarry of the Fourns, fourn nàut é fourn batch, quarry of the Gatsharîo, quarry of the Ribiéyro de Mouncuc, Fîu Soubiràn (Sovereign Fief "or--Sup Latin eranus--- "from the top of the town"), Cantou de Quantard, Cantou de VillaBorgonh--Billobourgounn--, Plàça de la Caminada (from the Old Presbytery after 1450, below the Parish House): under the Mediatheque , Prat del Gassàyrou, Bàrri (district) of Valeta, de Rozet, Camy de Pènn..etc..), have not had the happiness of being formalized, replaced by falsely "occitanizing" names! of Montcuq of the "vanellas (banéllos), empty spaces separate the houses and wide of 75cms, two and a half feet, a distance dating from the Roman Empire! Montcuq was legendaryly founded in the year of the Millennium of Rome, a combe bears the name de Vielha Roma" (Byélyo Roumo) OLD ROME,..the house at the bottom of the Rue du Plàn seems to have been a Jewish house, even of a rabbi and descendant of the tribe of Judah...In the Tower the points of the horizon indicated by the median axes of the openings, windows and door, correspond to places loaded with myths and related to sunrises and sunsets s solar, lunar, stars, constellations, on key dates of the year and therefore of the Old Calendar of the "Old Religion", as said of the secret and mysterious depths of old Quercy, the real one, not the one Tourists, such as "More-Than-Healer" of the Pays de Montcuq..

The problem is that Montcuq is a village in the OC region and that the pronunciation of the name follows the rules of OCCITAN, and southern French, region (33 departments in the south of France...) and languages ( Occitan and southern French) where ALL the LETTERS are PRONOUNCED!!....in all the Oc countries and in Quercy in particular (White or other!) we therefore pronounce "Monkükkk" by stating very clearly the last consonant.. .and if you want to be, or pass for being, from the country you will even pronounce "Mounnkükk" or even MounKütt"..as for the inhabitants, they are not the Montcuquois but the Mountcuquiols..and Quercy is pronounced Càrci (tonic accent on Cà ,Rroulé) and Quercy Blanc is called, in Oc, Càrci Albènc (albènnkk)...As for Barguelonne, we do not know it under the name of Barguelonnette...but, in Oc, of bargoLOUno...The name de Quercy-Blanc is very recent, it has no historical roots...it is a creation of geographers...the only old name is "Pàis dels Valls" (Country dellss Ballss: Spanish style)Country Valleys...(direct tributaries of the Middle Garonne) in a North-East to South-West direction... The causses are invaded by spontaneous Mediterranean vegetation, wild fig trees, pistachio trees, terebinths, asphodels, wild asparagus, Montpelleier maples, Phillyres (sub-Saharan shrubs!) attest that ..the environment lends itself to it...the great master of the sky in these regions is the Autan Wind..coming from the Balearic Islands...and the culture is all Occitan...