FORTIFIED BASE OF VILLARD

The Villard Vieux and Villard Jeune villages face each other at the same elevation, on either side of a small gorge carved here by the Lot River.

The fortified complex was built around the 12th century by the bishops of Mende to defend the Château de Chanac. It is a defensive site composed of several buildings surrounded by a curtain wall pierced with arrow slits (probably dating from the 14th century). Entry is through a gate flanked by two round towers, protected by a portcullis.

Inside, along the ramparts, the buildings evoke the Middle Ages with the remains of the keep, but also the 16th century with a massive building flanked by an external stair tower, pierced with mullioned windows.

The church is Romanesque but remodeled in the Gothic style. Recognizable by its 19th-century bell tower-porch, it is adorned with murals inside.

The site also offers lovely views of the surrounding area, including the southern slope of the Cham de Palherets and the Lot valley.