Visitez Cassagnes-Bégonhès

About

Take a stroll around the Glandou lake or along the Céor river, enjoy the picnic tables and amuse your children with the zip line or the treasure hunt: everything is freely accessible! Traduction automatique par DeepL via DATAtourisme

>>>> Use the map to find your way around (see image).
Etymology :
The name Cassagnes derives from the Gallic word cassanus, meaning “oak”. Bégonhès comes from the name of the De Bégon family, a representative of which was granted the Carolingian viguerie* of which Cassagnes was the chief town.
*Initially the seat of a civil and criminal jurisdiction rendered in the name of the count or viscount.
Its origins :
The castle built on the rocky promontory above the Céor river around the year 1000 is the origin of the viguerie.
When Rouergue became part of the French Crown in 1271, Cassagnes became the property of King Philippe III of France. Under the charter of 1282, he granted Cassagnes the privileges of a free town, which he reserved for bastides. The town was thus renamed “Cassagnes-Royaux” and became one of the four châtellenies of Rouergue: a captain or châtelain at the head of a garrison guarded the castle and ensured order in the region.

Ramparts and moats surrounded the village, which was entered through two gates: Porte Notre-Dame and Porte Ste-Catherine.
The village’s economy was based mainly on fairs and tanning.
From 1562 onwards, Cassagnes was repeatedly occupied by Huguenot (Calvinist Protestant) supporters, who finally set fire to the village in 1584, destroying the castle and a large number of houses. Only the bell tower was spared.
About the tanners :
Several mills were established early on along the banks of the Céor, and then it was the turn of the tanners: their work began in the river and continued in calquières (shack workshops) with pits for soaking hides and a semi-open floor for drying. In the 15th and 16th centuries, there were a great many of them. A major flood in August 1684, which destroyed the mills and 24 calquières, marked the end of this craft that had created the wealth of Cassagnes.
A few families of coyratiers (tanners) became great merchants who did not hesitate to travel to large fairs in faraway regions. The mules were loaded down with hides and all the leather products made by the many craftsmen working in their stalls at the bottom of the houses. Rue des Calquières is the last clue to this history.

>>>> Try the “Mystery in Cassagnes” treasure hunt with your family and help the tanner’s son find the hides he’s been robbed of!
Focus on the church and its bell tower:
In 1471, after the English invasion, the bishop of Rodez decided to build a fortified bell tower and attach a new church (the previous one having been pillaged). Leaning against the small 13th-century church, the 44-metre high bell tower, with its crenellations, was integrated into the ramparts and served as a watchtower.
The lower level, long used as a prison, has recently been converted to provide access to the bell tower staircase.
The second floor, now the back of the church, features a remarkable tierceron vault, a twelve-lobed rose window and two flamboyant windows. Above is the clock room. Traduction automatique par DeepL via DATAtourisme

Spoken languages : French

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