Places to visit: Puycelsi
Puycelsi is one of the many bastide (fortified) villages near Cordes sur Ciel. We visited in the winter and had a delightful wander around the old cobbled streets, along the old fortified wall, popping in and out of old archways, admiring the views from the ramparts.
The village is located on a hill above the River Vere on the border between the départements of the Tarn and Tarn et Garonne, next to the beautiful Forêt de Grésigne. It has long been known as the guardian of this forest. Puycelsi’s origins date back to the 10th century with the founding of a monastery by Benedictine monks. The village was sold to Raymond V in 1180 by the Abbott Pierre d’Aurillac and stayed loyal to the counts of Toulouse who were very aware of its strategic importance. According to history despite being besieged several times in the 13th and 14th centuries, the village remained a stronghold and apparently was never taken by force.
Like many villages in rural France it was once prosperous and then almost abandoned as people moved to towns and cities. It has now been restored by those who live there and is a popular tourist destination, part of the bastide circuit in the area.
The architecture is interesting, beautiful stone houses, many from the 14th and 15th centuries, some half-timbered with overhanging first floors. Narrow alleyways lead you to hidden corners, former gateways in the 800m of ramparts, complete with towers, that surround the village allow glimpses of the stunning vistas beyond, imagining the centuries of people passing through these portals.
The most breath-taking thing for me was the ceiling of the 14th century church of Sainte Corneille at Puycelsi – the most vibrant blue intricately painted and gilded – quite a surprise.
One of the many fascinating places to visit in our region.
Title photograph courtesy of www.tourisme-vignoble-bastides.com