Bruniquel is one of the 195 Communes of the Tarn-et-Garonne département of France.
The tiny fortified village of 500 inhabitants is at an altitude of 250 metres by the river Aveyron among the Pyrenees. It has a rail link to Caussade 17 km away and to Montauban 30 km away. There is a scheduled bus service to Montauban.
The commune's shield depicts a red chevron above a ram's head on a green ground.
The village is a picturesque mixture of old pink stone and red tile with a dramatic belfy, medieval gateways and defensive walls. Two feudal medieval castles dominate the village and the valley. The 'old' castle was built in the 12th century on the ruins of an earlier fortress said to have been founded by Queen Brunehaut in the sixth century (and remained occupied until the 19th century. It was the home of William of Tudela who wrote La Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise, an account of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. The castle is notable for a gallery 90 metres long in Renaissance style overhanging the valley of which it offers steep views that many visitors find alarming. The 'young' castle was built in the fifteenth century and occupied for about 200 years. It now houses a museum of prehistory exhibiting "treasures of Bruniquel" found in several caves near the castles. These caves include the Meyrieres Cave which contained ancient wall paintings that were erased by overenthusiastic graffiti cleaners in 1991 and the Bruniquel Cave that includes eveidence of Neanderthal activity.
Since 1997 the castles have been the venue of an annual arts festival celebrating the works of Jacques Offenbach.
The village and its surroundings feature in the film Le Vieux Fusil (The Old Rifle) directed by Robert Enrico starring Romy Schneider and Philippe Noiret.
Notes
- Eugène Martin-Chabot (ed.), La Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise, (Paris, 1989)
External links
Last updated: 10-17-2005 10:10:15
