St-Izaire - Bois Noir
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St-Izaire - Bois Noir
Saint-Izaire

St-Izaire - Bois Noir

History and heritage
Panorama
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You will best enjoy the numerous scenic views by a bright and sunny day

 


3 points of interest
History and heritage

Village of Saint-Izaire

The history of this village is intertwined with that of the old Episcopalian castle, which was formerly the Bishop of Vabres summer palace. The name of the village was first made mention of in an official document dating back to 862 AD.

During the 12th century, continual invasions, acts of banditry and battles between feudal lords created a tremendous insecurity. This led to the building of battlements to improve the defensive system and providea safe haven to the neighbouring people during periods of turmoil. The castle and the fortified village date back to the time of the Vabres bishops who made the village their summer residence and a safe refuge.

When the religious wars were over and peace restored, the protective wall lost its primary function and so today the façade of the castle has windows inserted along its length. The fortified gates were also demolished to allow the passage of carts or to expand the neighbouring houses. The villagestreet, footpath and house pattern has remained unchanged since the Middle Ages, and the beautiful 15th century facades and windowscan still be seen in some streets today. The old church part of the battlements had its vault lowered in 1635 to provide housing to the schoolmaster and guards. In 1650 repair works were started by the Consuls.

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Archeology

Carved standing stone of the Mas Capelier (B) This statue displays all of the feminine feature

This statue displays all of the feminine features: breasts are depicted either side of the Y shaped pendant,legs are set apart and the hair is tied back and depicted by a stripe down the back from the top of the head to the belt. The eyes are wide open set either side of the nose above tattooed   cheeks represented by four lines.

 

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History and heritage

Notre Dame de Grâce chapel

This sanctuary which was founded by Alix de Castelnau has existed since at least the 15th century, when it was called Ouradou (oratory). This chapel was refurbished in 1730 and during the 19th century, the stairway door of the castle was then brought back into use.

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Description

  1. From the car park, walk up towards the bridge to cross the Dourdou river and turn left. Follow the D 25 for 875 m, then take a right turn and follow a small road towards Donacoste, and straight after take right a grassy path which runs alongside the road. Pass under a bridge, then cross a footbridge over a stream and further on you will find the entrance to a 500 m long unlit tunnel (old railway tunnel).
  2. Enter this tunnel, it is easier if you keep to the left hand side on the passageway. At the end of the tunnel you re-join the grassy path first running the D25, then deviating towards the hamlet les Roques. At the intersection between the D25 and the path, carry on straight leaving the hamlet to your left. Walk alongside the pond, leave on your right the entrance of another tunnel, walk over this tunnel to reach the hamlet of les Canacs.
  3. Enter the hamlet and just before you leave, walk to your left in a wide curve and follow a path rising progressively up, leaving 3 trails to the right one after the other. Walk into the woodland, and at the next fork, close by a barn, take the left most path and keep ascending towards NE.  As you get near the crest, pay attention to the trail signs and leave the numerous trails going left and right to carry straight on. At the top, enjoy the beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. Walk down the slope and cross over to the other side of the hill.
  4. When you reach a fork on the path, take the left track and start walking down through the woodland. You are now walking on the “bishop’s trail”, which makes a wide curve north. After approximately 20mn, follow the path around two hair pin bends and join a little tarmacked road.
  5. Stop and take time to look at the carved standing stone beside the road. Follow that road to the left walking downhill until you reach a fork. At the fork, turn right the road which leads to Riols (equestrian farm) for approximately 150 m, then take almost opposite, a path that rises to the left. Follow a ridge line between the fields and enjoy the beautiful landscape which stretches on either side. The path runs down towards Belle-vue from where the entire village of Saint-Izaire can be seen.6- Follow the small road which leads to Notre-Dame de Grâce chapel. Close to the chapel, you will see a wide path to the right side which runs down towards Saint-Izaire. Walk around the chapel and follow the path which joins the D 25. Turn left, then right to pass under the bridge and get back to the car park.

 

 

 

 

 

Departure : Saint-Izaire
Arrival : Saint-Izaire
Towns crossed : Saint-Izaire, Calmels-et-le-Viala

Altimetric profile


Recommandations

Take a light with you.
Box tree moths are active from May to October. During the caterpillar phase, they feed on the leaves of box trees. They crawl down trees and move on long silken threads, although these threads are annoying when hiking they do not pose any health risk


Information desks

Saint-Affrique Tourist Office

Boulevard Aristide Briand, 12400 Saint-Affrique

http://www.roquefort-tourisme.fr/

contact@roquefort-tourisme.fr

0565585600

OPENING TIMES:


The Tourism Office is open all year round, the opening hours are:

·July and august:

From Monday to Saturday: 9h – 13h & 15h – 19h

Sunday: 9h – 13h

·From September to June:

From Tuesday to Saturday: 9h – 13h & 14h – 17h

Closed: Sundays, Mondays and bank holidays

From November to April, the office is also closed on Saturday afternoon.

Find out more

Transport


Access and parking

From St-Affrique head towards Albi, then at the roundabout before Vabres l’Abbaye turn right the D25 up to St-Izaire

 

Parking :

Next the river after the bridge

Report a problem or an error

If you have found an error on this page or if you have noticed any problems during your hike, please report them to us here:


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6
Where to sleep ?

Where to sleep ?

HEALTH INSTRUCTIONS (dated June 06 2020)


Dear visitors


The Saint Izaire municipality is pleased to welcome you to this natural campsite. All measures have been taken to guarantee that you have a safe and enjoyable stay. We simply require   that everyone conforms to the following health and safety instructions.


•    You are free to choose the location of your pitch, provided that you respect the clearly marked spaces and adequate distancing between the pitches that are already occupied; if any problem arises or in case of overcrowding, the municipality reserves the right to change the pitch location of newcomers to ensure a homogeneous distribution within the campsite.


•    As a basic principle, you are required to comply with safety distancing measures within the reception area at all times. Groups of more than ten people or of several campervans or caravans will be split to ensure health and safety conditions.


•    If safety distancing cannot be respected (e.g: using the toilets), we highly recommend that you wear a fitted mask (covering your nose and mouth).


•    Door handles and sanitary facilities will be cleaned on a regular basis. However, we request that you follow the current precautions by using a hydro alcoholic solution if necessary. Outdoor games areas will also be cleaned regularly; However, in line with the precautionary principle, the set of outdoor games (children's slide - climbing frame) will not be open.


•    Upon leaving the campsite, you will be asked to leave your name and telephone number to comply with our adequate health monitoring obligations, in case of any future alert. These contact details will only be kept for two months.


We hope you will enjoy your stay in this natural site that is made available for you while complying with our safety instructions. Shops are at your disposal in the immediate vicinity (service station – inn). In case of any difficulties, please call 06.29.11.62.30


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What to see

What to see

Saint-Izaire castle and archery museum

Formerly a bishop's summer palace, this building is a listed Historic Monument that has kept some of its original features when the bishops had a way of life similar to the great feudal lords.


20 rooms to discover during the visit: Museum of rural art and traditional archery. Reconstruction of a classroom, an ancient kitchen and the bishop's chamber dating from the 17th century. Free visits with guide book/information sheet. Discovery game for accompanied children from 6 to 12 years old. Duration: 1 hour


HEALTH INSTRUCTIONS


•   During peak periods, entries to the castle will be regulated to allow a smooth flow of visitors. Groups of more than ten people will be split up to ensure sanitary health conditions within indoor spaces.

 

•   We highly recommend you to wear a fitted mask (covering nose and mouth) throughout the visit to avoid any risk of spreading the virus from one person to another if safe distancing cannot be implemented.

 

•   A one-way system has been specified to guarantee a smooth flow of people, to avoid them from passing each other. It is incumbent upon each person to regulate his or her speed of progression. During the visit, despite the layout of the circuit, three points where people pass each other remain (landing – staircase – corridor) but which are wide enough to ensure physical distancing. In the staircase, priority is given to people going downstairs.

 

•   The handing of collector's items is forbidden! Even though all contact areas (door handles – ropes – guidebooks – handrails and others are disinfected on a regular basis, the collector's items are not. A hydro alcoholic solution set up in several points throughout the visit is at your disposal.


•   Upon leaving the castle, you will be asked to leave your name and telephone number to comply with our adequate health monitoring obligations, in case of any future alert. These contact details will only be kept for two months.


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Wath to do
Where to sleep ?