Spring

The calendar doesn't say it yet, but spring is springing in Cadrieu!

Capdenac-le-Haut

The donjon
Capdenac-le-haut

I had such a great idea for a winter photo/blog project! Alas, the miserable rainy weather put a damper on it. Since there has been a dramatic shift in the weather pattern, I think that idea has now become a spring project. Here's the first installment....

I've blogged before about the 'most beautiful villages in France.' If you click on the highlighted link, you'll find an explanation of the requirements a village must meet to attain this designation as well as a list of them. There are several within driving distance from where I live, and I thought it would be fun to visit and share them on my blog. I've already been to some...St. Cirq-Lapopie, Conques, Cardaillac, Najac. There are several more, though, so watch for them in upcoming blog posts.

Today we'll visit Capdenac-le-Haut in the Lot department. I have no excuse for not visiting this beautiful village sooner. I've passed the sign to it many times. This week I found out what I've missed.

Beautiful medieval village houses

The site of the village overlooking the Lot River far below has been inhabited since Neolithic times. In fact, the oldest stone figure in France was discovered here in 1973. It's the plump torso of a woman who has been named the Capdenac Goddess; she dates from 3200-3000 BCE. The Romans certainly settled here.  For many years, the village claimed to be the site of Uxellodunum...the last stand of the Gauls against the Roman invaders. At that battle in 51 BCE, the great Gaul hero, Vercingetorix, was defeated by Julius Caesar himself. Archaeologists have since disproved Capdenac's claim, but the village isn't buying it

The village square

The village played an important role in the Treaty of Nantes that ended the Wars of Religion. It was one of 40 places in France given to the Protestants and remained a Protestant stronghold and place of refuge and religious freedom.

Today Capdenac-le-Haut is a sleepy village eclipsed by Capdenac Gare at the bottom of the valley below it. The railroad station there linked this part of France with the rest of the Aveyron, the Lot and beyond and a bigger town has grown up around it. The ramparts and donjon of the old village offer stunning views of the valley and its well-preserved medieval houses are a delight. There is a garden of medieval herbs and plants next to the donjon/tourist office and a small museum that is open during the tourist season. Visiting the old village is like stepping back into time.

The Lot River and train station at Capdenac Gare

Waiting...

Waiting for spring

Ah...a blue sky morning! Lucie and I took advantage of it with a walk along the waterfront in Cajarc. Not much happening in the gardens that line the river. Still too wet from all the rain, and it's a bit early to ignore the possibility of one last freeze before spring is officially here. There were a few crocus blooming and a flowering tree here and there just starting to bud and blossom, but mostly everything is waiting. Waiting for the air to dry the wet ground. Waiting for the sun to warm it up a bit. Waiting like this guy in his dog-house cazelle.

Along the Cemetery Road

Morning walk.....cemetery road....clearing skies.

A Walk in the Park

Lucie and I are suffering from cabin fever! It's been a very rainy, grey winter. So last Monday when I awoke to clear blue skies, I decided we needed to get out and explore a bit. I drove down to Loc Dieu keeping my fingers crossed that the Park would be open at the Abbey. The website says it's open year 'round, but the last time I tried to walk there, the gates were locked. Luck was with us this time! I paid the €2 entry fee, and the young woman who lives there showed me the map...

The Park that surrounds the Abbey consists of 50 hectares of the 100 hectare property. It was created by Jean Darcel, a roads and bridges engineer from Paris. He created such Parisian parks as Parc Montsouris, the Trocadero Gardens and the gardens of Buttes-Chaumont. Working with the existing forest, springs, ponds resurgences and mini-caves, he established various walkways that wind around the area and up the hill at the edge of the oak and pine forest. There's a tower on top that overlooks the surrounding countryside. Dogs are welcome on a leash and it's a perfect place to walk even in the winter.

The Tower

It took a bit of coaxing, but I managed to talk Lucie into climbing the skinny, winding stone staircase to the top of the tower. It offered a magnificent 360° view...

Looking north at the tiny village of Elbes

This was my favorite discovery of the day, though. It sits right outside the entrance to the house. I want one!

Abbey Loc Dieu

Loc Dieu  Abbey

Built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks, the Abbey at Loc Dieu has seen its fortunes ebb and flow over the years. Looking at it now, it's hard to believe that the church and the beautiful manor house adjoining it were actually built at the same time. While the church itself has never been damaged over the years, the original monks' quarters, cloister and workrooms have been heavily damaged and almost destroyed several times during the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of Religion and the French Revolution. Each rebuilding was done in the style of the period. When the state assumed control of the Abbey during the French Revolution, the monks were disbanded and the property sold. The Abbey and its grounds then became the estate of the Cibiel family which turned the buildings into the lovely manor house it is today.

The house and church are open during the summer for guided tours only. On the tour you hear the story about the Mona Lisa hiding here as well as other fascinating tales of the Abbey's history.

I took this photo inside the foyer of the house where the tour begins. I love the intricate glass work. You can see the vaulted corridor of the cloister beyond the glass.

The interior of the church is typically Cistercian...very simple and elegant. This is where Mona Lisa smiled during WWII. She and hundreds of other works of priceless art were cached here in the church. You might think our tour guide looks a bit out of place in the church wearing her tank top and rolled jeans! In her defense, it was a blistering hot August day. The interior of the stone church felt blissfully cool.

Cistercian churches do not have the colorful stained glass windows found in the later Gothic churches like Notre Dame. The Cistercian order followed the strict rule of St. Bernard who believed that churches should not have any superfluous ornamentation that might distract the monks from their religious life. The earliest monasteries like this one might only have a crucifix and single-color windows like these. I find them very beautiful and restful.

The altar flowers are a modern touch. In my next post, we'll stroll through the Park that surrounds the Abbey.

Loc Dieu and Mona...Who?

Abbey Loc Dieu

With the recent release of the Hollywood film, "The Monuments Men," I've been thinking a lot about art and World War II. Which naturally led me to think about a 12th century Cistercian monastery near here. You don't see the connection? Let me tell you the story...

The Abbey Loc Dieu, founded by Cistercian monks in the 12th century, sits at the corner of three Rouergue departments: the Lot, the Aveyron, and the Tarn-and-Garonne. It's the oldest monastery in the area.As is typical of Cistercian monasteries, it is far off the beaten track, isolated and hidden, but with easy access to both water and agricultural land.

Where Mona Lisa smiled for a few months in 1940

In 1939 its isolation brought it to the attention of the administrators of the Louvre. Already they were beginning to crate up and move some of the priceless art housed there in anticipation of the war with Germany. Some found its way to the Loire valley chateaus, but in 1940 when Hitler's 'Phony War' ended with German troops rolling into Belgium and eastern France, the curators of the Louvre began their packing in earnest. The Loire Valley was still too close to Paris for comfort, so they hurriedly devised a plan to transport 3500 works of priceless art further south. The roads were a mess as thousands fled Paris and everything was in short supply. They requisitioned the biggest trucks they could find to transport such huge works of art as 'The Wedding Feast at Cana' by Veronese which measures 33 feet by 23 feet! One large truck hauled nothing but gasoline to fuel the others in the convoy. 3120 paintings and sculptures arrived here at the Abbey Loc Dieu between 5 and 17 June 1940 among them the world famous 'Mona Lisa,' who made the trip in her own personal car! Not only did the church house the artwork, but also the over 250 people who arrived with it to care for the pieces. Many lived in the old monks' quarters which had become an elegant manor house over the centuries, while others were housed in the nearby villages of Memer and Valhouries.

After WWII, trenches were dug around the foundation of the buildings to drain away standing water and alleviate the dampness problem inside.

Alas, Mona's visit to the monastery lasted only a few months. It was determined that both the church and manor house were too damp for the paintings. No one wanted to risk damage to them even though the monastery seemed like the perfect hiding place. Everything was re-packed and moved. The 'Mona Lisa' went to nearby Montauban for the duration of the war. But she hasn't been forgotten in Loc Dieu. One room in the manor house is dedicated to her and her brief stay at the Abbey. She is undoubtedly the Abbey's most famous visitor!

The room dedicated to all things Mona Lisa

I'll be back in my next blog post to tell you more about the history of the Abbey and its beautiful park.

If you are interested in learning more about how art from the Louvre was transported and hidden during WWII, here are links to two excellent sources: "The Rape of Europa" a scholarly book detailing Hitler's war on "degenerate" art and the theft of thousands of pieces of art during the German occupation, and "Rescuing da Vinci" a book of fascinating photographs of the art from the Louvre being crated, transported and hidden.