A village that very nearly disappeared
What moves us most about Belcastel is knowing how close it all came to never existing in this form. The village rises in tiers on the bank of the Aveyron river (not to be confused with the Dourdou, which flows near us in Pruines), at the foot of a rocky spur crowned by the remains of a castle dating from the Middle Ages. The site's origins apparently go back to a much older fortification, but it was mainly from the 10th century that the lords of Belcastel, then the Saunhac family, made it a proper stronghold, before it passed from hand to hand over the following centuries, through marriages and inheritances, among several families of the Rouergue nobility.
Like many fortresses in the region, this one had its share of twists and turns: it is even said to have been ceded for a while to the English crown before returning to France, then gradually falling into neglect from the 17th century. In the 19th century, the castle's stones were even used as a quarry by the village: a local man had bought it for a pittance and came to help himself to building stone, which greatly hastened its ruin. Walking today through the cobbled lanes below, it is hard to imagine that this imposing mass, which still dominates the whole valley, was for decades considered a mere pile of stones to salvage rather than a monument to preserve.
The rebirth of the castle, driven by an extraordinary architect
The story we most like telling our guests is that of its resurrection. In 1972 the architect Fernand Pouillon, already known for his large housing projects in France and Algeria, came across the ruins of the castle on a walk and literally fell in love with them. He bought it in 1974 and embarked on an extraordinary rebuilding project that would occupy the last eight years of his life. His approach was radical: no cranes, no modern equipment, only medieval building techniques, by hand, with stonemasons and master glassmakers. He even had a schist quarry reopened on the hill to find the original stone, and chose limestone and red Marcillac sandstone for the decorative parts.
The castle was inaugurated on 6 July 1984. Fernand Pouillon had grown so attached to it that he ended up living there permanently, in a wing he had restored himself. He died there in 1986 and has rested ever since in the small village cemetery, in a deliberately simple grave, true to his convictions. The mausoleum you can see there echoes the shape of the castle's guardroom, where he set up his architect's office throughout the works. We find this gesture, being buried in the middle of the village he saved rather than in a family vault, quite moving once you know the story.
Today the castle is open to visitors and offers a superb view over the stone-slab roofs of the village and the Aveyron valley. We advise you to spend a good while there: the vaulted rooms, the monumental fireplaces and the view from the ramparts are well worth taking your time over, rather than heading straight for the bridge. It is this faithfulness to old methods, almost radical for a 20th-century architect used to large concrete projects, that gives the castle the feeling of never having been anything other than a medieval fortress, when in fact it is a reconstruction led by one man in a few years.
The Gothic bridge, emblem of the village
Seen from the riverbank, the Belcastel bridge is probably the most photographed image of the village, and for good reason. Built in the 15th century on five arches, it spans the Aveyron river to link the village to the church on the other bank. It has been a listed historic monument since 1928. In the middle of the deck, a stone cross is said to have been set up to keep the peace between the people of the two banks, who did not always get on very well at the time, a little anecdote we enjoy telling as we cross the bridge with our guests.
The bridge and the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine just opposite were built at the same time, at the initiative of Alzias de Saunhac, lord of the place, whose tomb effigy can still be seen inside the church. Our tip: stand on the bank opposite the castle at the end of the day, when the low light falls on the façade and is reflected in the water of the Aveyron. It is the viewpoint we always recommend for photos.
The village, listed among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France"
Belcastel joined the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" network in 1992, a recognition that rewards the castle's architecture as much as the careful restoration of the village buildings, also driven by Fernand Pouillon. Aveyron is today the French department with the most villages holding the label, and Belcastel is one of the most emblematic: stone houses, stone-slab roofs, cobbled lanes climbing towards the castle, everything has stayed on a human scale. We particularly love how quiet it is outside the summer months: it is a village best discovered slowly, on foot, stopping often to look up at the castle.
How we visit Belcastel from the cottage
From Gîte de la Viguerie in Pruines, allow about 35 minutes by car to reach Belcastel. It is a little further than Conques, but the drive is worth it, and we like combining the two visits in a single day for guests staying several days: one in the morning, the other in the afternoon, with a picnic somewhere in between. We advise starting with the castle in the morning, before the village fills up, then wandering through the lanes and finishing with the bridge and the church at the end of the day, when the light is at its best. Allow a good half-day to enjoy the village without rushing, with time simply to sit by the Aveyron and watch the castle reflected in the water.
A tip we often give: park in the large car park at the entrance to the village rather than trying to drive closer to the lanes, which are very narrow and for pedestrians only. From there it is only a few minutes' walk to the bridge, and the climb to the castle is an easy one, through cobbled lanes lined with stone houses. The village can be visited all year round, but we have a soft spot for spring and early autumn, when the light is soft on the stone roofs and there are fewer visitors than in high summer. And if you have a little time, the Aveyron valley upstream and downstream of the village is perfect for a short walk along the river, away from the bustle of the village.