Puycelsi is a medieval bastide village, dominating the Vère, a small river. In fact, Puycelsi was already a fortified place before the arrival of the Romans, more than 2000 years ago: « Celsium Podium », platform of the Celts. In the nearby Grésigne forest one can discover the remains of some oppida from that era. During the middle-ages, the bastide has lived trough many sieges and wars. Firstly there was the Albigensian Crusade: the Cathars rejected the power and wealth of the roman catholic clergy, thus both the pope and the French king called for a merciless war against Albi and the people in the south of France. The crusaders repeatedly besieged Puycelsi; as a result, the castle was dismantled, however, the ramparts and towers remained. During the Hundred Years war, English troops besieged Puycelsi, whereas the Wars of Religion added new disasters to the decline of Puycelsi: the catholic majority expelled the Protestants; the Huguenots returned with their co-religionists to besiege the bastide. In the 16th and 17th century, four epidemics of pestilence afflicted Puycelsi. In the 19th century, part of the population left the village and its surroundings: they hoped for a better life north of Albi thanks to the exploitation of the coal mines in Carmaux and the developing industry around. The First World War added his toll to the decline of the village.
Nowadays Puycelsi is reduced to a quiet village, with many secondary residences. The walls and the towers of the bastide are still in place. From the ramparts, one has a magnificent view on the Vère valley, the Larroque cliffs, and further on the plateau of the Aveyron. Visit St Roche s' chapel, built by the population during the plague; now it houses the tourist office. In the middle of the village you should also visit the roman style St Corneille church; apart from catholic masses, sometimes an Anglican service is held. Discover also some of the nice 16th century buildings, stemming from the period where Puycelsi governed the Grésigne Forest. And most of all, Puycelsi is a very charming village, take a stroll, have a drink on one of the terraces.
A number of signposted walks let you discover the Grésigne Forest, with 3 500 ha the largest oak forest in the south of France. The “sentier du patrimoine” (heritage path) gives you an insight in history and the rich fauna of the wood: deer, badgers, foxes, wild boar... The bird life in and around the Grésigne is also interesting (booted eagle, kite...), as well as the flora (orchids!). It is also a NATURA 2000 site, which means that the area preserves a number of animals and plants; for example the Grésigne counts hundreds of different varieties of beetles. An marvelous collection of these beetles and other insects is hold in the Philadelphe Thomas museum in nearby Gaillac. Another interesting place to visit in Puycelsi is the Verger Conservatoire: an orchard created by the regional administration of Midi-Pyrénées in order to preserve the biodiversity in apples, pears and grapes.
The bastides circuit around Albi is a nice destination for your holiday: the visit of the circuit can easily take 2 or 3 days by car, a week if you like walking or cycling. The The Long Distance Footpath (Grande Randonnée or GR) 46 “Bastides albigeoises et gorges de l'Aveyron” connects the bastides, many of them labeled “most beautiful villages of France”.
B& B Artichaud – a few hundred meters from
GR 46- is a good starting point for discovering the region. We are
located in Castelnau-de-Montmiral,
another bastide within walking
distance of Puycelsi. If you fancy an ecological holiday,
in a
comfortable house, with great food, you should come to our place.
+ information about Artichaud's walking
holidays
+ information about Puycelsi
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