Occitanie: Abbeys & Bastides of South-West France

Travel through fields of budding sunflowers to discover some of France's most beautiful medieval architecture, underpinned by an exploration of the region's history through its magnificent abbeys and townscapes.

Overview

The bastide towns of medieval France are among the most beautiful in Western Europe. Lively food and craft markets bustle within the embrace of colourful arcades, and ancient churches hunker down amongst the grids of alleys and streets branching away towards old city walls and gateways. Amidst the smells of local produce and the brightness of summer, there is a deep sense of the past, of hundreds of years of commerce and industry, worship and ritual, turbulence and conflict. And no wonder, because so many of these towns have remained largely unchanged since they were first built or developed, principally to help centralise, manage, defend and boost the economies of the communities of south-west France in the 13th and 14th centuries.   

Today, the layout, art and architecture of the bastides offer glimpses into the lives of long-gone inhabitants and the ambitions of their political and religious leaders – from royalty and local lords to military commanders and bishops – at a time when the Languedoc was both largely untamed and reeling from the destruction wrought by the Albigensian Crusade. They include the fortified town of Cordes-sur-Ciel, famously perched atop the clouds, and Castelnau-de-Montmiral, founded by Count Raymond VII of Toulouse and home to covered stone arcades and 360 degree vistas across forests, hills, vineyards and distant mountains.        

The region’s abbeys and churches are closely intertwined with the formation of its bastides. We will dedicate a day to discovering the secrets of Conques-en-Rouergue, a monastic village centring on the exquisite Abbatiale Sainte-Foy de Conques, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and a major stop on the Camino de Santiago. The Basilica and former abbey church of St Sernin in Toulouse, equally renowned for its stunning array of Romanesque art and architecture, remains another popular pilgrimage stop; we will combine our visit here with an exploration of the nearby Couvent des Jacobins, built in the Southern French Gothic style, and the vast Place du Capitol at the heart of France’s ‘Ville Rose’.       

‘Some cities whisper their history,’ goes the adage; ‘Albi speaks it out loud’. In the long shadow of the Albigensian Crusade, when both crown and church pursued and persecuted practising Cathars, the monumental Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile rose fortress-like over the landscape to become a symbol and reminder of Catholic power. The basilica is a prime example of Southern French Gothic, a distinctive regional style that emerged in the wake of the Cathar heresy and that prioritised space, defensive exteriors and the use of local materials – particularly red brick – over and above ornate decoration and intricate layouts. 

Yet despite its austere history, the small city of Albi is strikingly beautiful, with an assemblage of red-ochre historical monuments spanning the broad River Tarn and fringed with trees and gardens. Alongside the cathedral and nearby collegiate church of Saint-Salvi (the oldest church in Albi), the city is home to the Musée Toulouse-Lautrec, housed in the former Bishop’s Palace and containing one thousand works either by or about this Albi-born artist, many donated by his mother after his death.

Based close to the centre of Albi, our tour’s blend of architectural beauty, peaceful yet majestic surroundings, and historical richness, makes it one of the most enjoyable and enriching of our summer programmes.      

Cost Details

Occitanie: Abbeys & Bastides of South-West France