Lauzerte
Lauzerte is a commune in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the department of Tarn -et -Garonne. The 1496 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) counting place belongs to Arrondissement Castelsarrasin and is the capital of the canton of the same name.
Through the village leads the GR 65, which largely follows the historical course of the French Road to Santiago Via Podiensis. Les plus beaux by the Association villages de France Lauzerte was declared one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Geography and transport
Lauzerte located in the Quercy Blanc. The landscape of the confluence of the Garonne and Tarn is a limestone plateau, which is intersected by many river valleys. The emerged from a medieval fortified village site Lauzerte situated on a hill between the two river Barguelonnette and Lendou.
The nearest towns are Cahors, which northeasterly direction, reached via the D653 after about 38 kilometers of road, and Moissac, which is in a southwesterly direction over the distance D2 man - D957 reached after about 23 kilometers of road. The next major French cities are Toulouse ( 76 km) to the southeast, Bordeaux ( 152 km) to the northwest and Montpellier ( 231 km) to the southeast. At the French motorway network via the A62 Lauzerte Toulouse- North is - Bordeaux and exits 8 ( Valence- d'Agen ) or 9 ( Castelsarrasin ) attached.
The nearest railway station is located in Moissac and the nearest international airport is the International Airport Toulouse Blagnac.
History
In the Gallo -Roman period of the hills of Lauzerte was a fortified place of the Gauls. The town's name is derived from the Latin name for lantern Lucerna, since the place like a light seen from afar.
Lauzerte is founded in the late 12th century by the Counts of Toulouse as a fortified village and later expanded to Bastide to stop as one of the fortified places of the advance of the English during the Hundred Years War. So the site guarding the road between Cahors and Moissac. Nevertheless Lauzerte was partially destroyed and looted both in the Hundred Years War and during the Relegionskriege.
From the 15th century experienced a heyday Lauzerte by the seat of the Court of Appeal, which was responsible for hundreds of communities and worked until the 18th century. Another source of wealth was the economic control over the surrounding villages and taking care of the pilgrims on the Via Podiensis.
Way of St. James ( Via Podiensis )
In the village there are three hostels for pilgrims (French: Gîte d' étape ), hotels and private rooms (French: Chambre d' hôtes ), and a campsite and tourist information.
The trail continues through the hills of the Tarn and Garonne to Moissac, the most important of cultural- historical perspective to Conques station of the Via Podiensis. More accommodation on the way to Moissac are in Durfort- Lacapelette and Saint -Martin -de- Durfort. As a road connecting the route leads D2 - D16 to Moissac.
Attractions
- The historical part of Lauzerte grouped around the market square with the Church of Saint -Barthélemy from the 13th century. In the 16th century it has been completely rebuilt and expanded. Many medieval and dating from the Renaissance period frame houses, standing on arcades, the marketplace.
- The church of Saint -Barthélemy is in the upper part of the village on the marketplace. The oldest parts of the church date from the 14th century. From 1591 to 1654 it will be extended by a pentagonal apse and six chapels. The wooden altarpiece of the Virgin is regarded as a baroque masterpiece.
- The chapel Chapelle de l' hospice was rebuilt in 1830 and now welcomes the pilgrims of the Via Podiensis.
- The church L' Eglise des Carmes at the foot of the village is part of the former Carmelite monastery, which was founded here in the 14th century. The nave church was rebuilt after its destruction in 1673 again.
- The Capuchin Monastery from the 12th century was in operation until the French Revolution in 1789.