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Presentation
of Decazeville
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6805 habitants - altitude 225m
jumelée avec Coazze (Italie), Utrillas (Espagne)
Situated
4 kms from the Lot river, one of the most beautiful
rivers in France, in the North West of the Aveyron,
between the regions of Quercy and Auvergne, Decazeville
welcomes you. Built in the 19th century by Duke
Decazes for coal mining and the development of
the iron and steel industry, Decazeville sheltered
the biggest open-cast coalmine in France.
On the way to Santiago de Compostela, between
Conques and Figeac, you will find contrasting
scenery, diverse architecture and a variety of
leisure activities.
The region is rich in culinary delights.
Moreover, Decazeville is a big industrial and
commercial center situated in the Mecanic Valley.
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Some
history ...
Recent
city about 170 years, it is one of the first
town that was built because of the industry.At
the beginning, we found there swamps, the
domain of Lassalle and three villages: St
Roch, Vialarels, St Michel.
Duke Decazes, ambassador of Louis the 18 in
England, with the help of François
Cabrol iwill implant the steel industry in
Decazeville by the English-style method: make
cast iron with some coal and some iron ore.
It is the birth of the industrial revolution
in Decazeville and its region where we begin
to work in subterranean galleries.
The first casting of cast iron takes place
n
the site of La Forézie (near Firmi)
for
Christmas in the year 1828. Later, the factory
is moved in the locality of Lassalle. Decazeville
becomes town in 1834 and takes the name of
its founder. The city knows important days
(in 1842 it is the most important steel factory
in France) and it is rapidly growing until
1855, dates in which the treaty of free exchange
signed with England caused a very long metallurgy
national crisis
The exploitation of the opencast mine, the"Découverte",
began in 1892. At the end of the 19th century
with the modernization of equipments and the
first World War we see a net revival, but
the metal industry declines little by little,
after the war. Subterranean galleries are
abandoned in 1966. So, The work was made on
the opencast mine, " the Découverte"
which became the biggest exploitation of this
type in France (3,7 km long, 2,5 km wide,
250 m of depth). Today, the activity is definitively
finished since 2001, but the city is very
marked by its mining past. The site of the
"Découverte" is under rehabilitation
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Presentation
of the district villages
The
typical villages of Almont les Junies, Boisse Penchot,
Flagnac, Livinhac le Haut, Saint Parthem and Saint Santin,
situated in the Lot Valley, offers you many things to
discover along this beautiful river : footpaths, beautiful
landscapes, sports and leisure areas, culinary specialities,
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Almont
les Junies
(428
citizen, altitude 470m)
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Situated on a plateau
with many panoramas, Almont Junies is the capital
of the estofinado: gastronomic speciality of
this area made with dried cod ("stockfish"
from Northern Norway) and potatoes flavour with
garlic, parsley and ail.
Discovery : panoramas on the Lot Valley, place about
stockfish and estofinado, footpaths (GR
65), local fete of the harvest field in July.
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Boisse
Penchot
(517
citizen,
altitude 187m)
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Situated in
the Lot Valley between the plain of Livinhac
le Haut and the gorges of La Roque ; it is the
old see of a prory of the Bishops of Rodez.
This old village which dominates the valley
is an haven of greeness and coolness. Of the
castle, built in the Middle Ages to watch "the
trade road of the Lot", there is only a
tower with a very beautiful romanesque door.
The modern Church St Joseph (1964), was realised
by the architects Vidalenc and Paszkiewiez with
a very beautiful modern Christ and a baptistery.
In front, there is a cross of the 16th.
Discovery : the Cross of Glassworkers, realized
with glasses from the glass factory (created
in 1840 in thisvillage), the locks of Boisse
Penchot and Roquelongue, the cross of Millagues
(highlight at 461 m on St Jacques's roads),
municipal swimming pool in summer, area of leisure
activities along the Lot river, footpaths, fishing,
nautical jousts.
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Flagnac
(927
citizen,
altitude 275m)
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Old
viguerie of the 10th century mentioned in 839
in a donation of Pépin of Aquitaine in
the abbey of Figeac dependent of the Pagax's
Lord and of the Conques Priory. Flagnac dominates
the Lot Valley. It is a region of pasture, mixed
farming and cereal.
Discovery : St Martin church (Romanesque choir of the 11-12th
with chapiters, Gothic nave of the 15th with
emblazoned keystones, beautiful wooden Christ,
popular paintings, reliquary silver ostensoir
of the 15th (classified), pietà of the
end of the 16th, two medieval statues, cross
of the 19th and chapel of the cemetery - 1492)
; Griffoulière Castle built in the 19th
(square shaped with 4 turrets) ; panorama on
the Gironde Castle, Port d'Agrès and
Livinhac le Haut ; sound and light show "Hier
un village"
(rural life at the beginning of 20th interpreted
by the citizens) ; Pagax Castle (Historical
Monument) : chapel built in1327, castle of the
16th with 3 towers ; Agnac : village structured
in fortified village ; leisure area near the
Lot, :canoe, kayak, pedal boat, footpath, fishing,
market on saturday mornings in summer.. |
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Livinhac
le Haut
(1162
citizen,
altitude 200m)
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Situated in
a meander of the Lot Valley, the village dominates
the valley which forms a meander where the market
gardening is very developed there. The tile
roofs replace those of slates and announce the
influence of the Midi region. The village used
to be a port on the Lot, from 924.
Discovery : Marcenac Castle of the 15-16th (private)
: vestige of towers, church of 12th reworked
in the 19th which enclosed beautiful crown nose
cones with chapiters, market garden productions,
gastronomy: estofinado, Laroque Bouillac: old
village in a confined gorge of the Lot, the
area of leisure activities along the Lot river,
footpaths (GR 65), fishing.
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Laroque
Bouillac
(commune
de Livinhac le Haut)
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4km
from Livinhacle Haut, this village situated
in a confined gorge of the Lot, hold on a abrupt
slope.
Discovery:
group of overlayed houses (of the 15th) dominated
by the steep slope, ruins of the castle (10th),
the old property of "De Laroque Bouillac"
and see of an important barony in 1901, church
of the 18th with beautiful silver cross processional
of 15th and its St Clair relic, fishing. |
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Saint
Parthem
(455
citizen,
altitude 204m)
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The
village is situated in a confined and picturesque
gorge. It is a region of market gardenning
and wine. Beautiful old houses make the charm
as well as the church for romanesque nave
and waysides, Gothic choir, renaissance gate
of 1561 and bell tower of the beginning of
the 16th.
Discovery : La Maison de la Rivière Olt (museum
about the Lot river), Port d'Agrès
: old port on th eLot mentioned since the
13th century, Gironde's site : private castle
and chapel with a beautiful view point on
the Lot valley ; footpaths, picnic area near
the Lot, fiishing, products fromfarm, Markets:
wednesday evenings in July/August.
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Saint
Santin
(538
citizen,
altitude 400 m)
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It
is a strange unique village for its double identity.
St Santin is situated on two departments: Cantal
and Aveyron and on two regions : Midi-Pyrénées
and Auvergne. So, we discover here two kind
of architecture.
Discovery : Saint Julien de Piganiol (church
of the 16th and old convent of the 17th which
roofs have attic windows of typical Cantal architecture,
Brandalac Castle (18th) with oblong shaped and
a round and a square tower, La
Bessière ou l'Hôpital : vestige of a old chapel
which was the see of a Saint Jean de Jérusalem
commandery, footpaths, products from farm. |
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