The best traffic-free bike rides around Castella

The Tour du Roy of Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot, located in the Lot-et-Garonne department, is an old urban seigneurial fortified house built between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century. Listed as a Historical Monument since 1925, it represents the only surviving vestige of the town's medieval fortifications. Despite its name "Tour du Roy", it initially belonged to a local lord and not to the crown. Local legend sometimes erroneously attributes it to Richard the Lionheart.

Former medieval stronghold, the village is officially labeled among The Most Beautiful Villages of France. Stone, brick, and half-timbered facades surround the market hall and the central square. The village is home to the Collegiate Church of Saint-Nicolas, whose tower-belfry serves as a fortified entrance gate to the town, as well as the Church of Sainte-Foy, adorned with remarkable 16th-century frescoes. Sections of ramparts and the old gates bear witness to its military past as an Albigensian stronghold.

Former medieval stronghold, the town is officially labeled among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. The stone, brick, and half-timbered facades surround the market hall and the central square. The village houses the Collégiale Saint-Nicolas, whose tower-steeple serves as a fortified entrance gate to the town, as well as the Sainte-Foy church, adorned with remarkable 16th-century frescoes. Sections of ramparts and the old gates bear witness to its military past as an Albigensian stronghold.

Former medieval stronghold, the village is officially labeled among The Most Beautiful Villages of France. Facades of stone, brick, and timber-frame surround the market hall and the central square. The village houses the Collegiate Church of Saint-Nicolas, whose tower-belfry serves as a fortified entrance gate to the town, as well as the Church of Sainte-Foy, adorned with remarkable 16th-century frescoes. Sections of ramparts and old gates bear witness to its military past as an Albigensian stronghold.

A former medieval stronghold, the village is officially labeled among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Stone, brick, and half-timbered facades surround the market hall and the central square. The village houses the Collegiate Church of Saint-Nicolas, whose tower-belfry serves as a fortified gateway to the town, as well as the Church of Sainte-Foy, adorned with remarkable 16th-century frescoes. Sections of ramparts and old gates bear witness to its past as an Albigensian stronghold.

The Sainte-Colombe church has watched over the village since the Middle Ages. Originally Romanesque, it was extensively remodeled in the 19th century, but retains a remarkable bell tower housing a bell dated 1525, now listed as a historic monument.

Prayssas is a small village in Lot-et-Garonne perched on a ridge between the Lot and Garonne valleys. Strolling through its narrow streets, you will discover a Romanesque church, beautiful stone houses, and several viewpoints over the surrounding countryside.

An amazing little stop in a gorgeous sleepy town on top of a hill. The hill on which Clermont-Dessous is built dominates the Garonne and commands the right bank near Port-Sainte-Marie . The hill must have been fortified as early as the 11th century. The castle protects the weakest part of the hill, near the neighboring hills; it is cut off from the village by a ditch. The parish church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste was also the castle chapel and participated in the defense of the castle. In 1221 the castle was besieged unsuccessfully by Amaury de Montfort. The castrum is mentioned for the first time in the Saisimentum of 1271. It depends on the "baylie" of Port-Sainte-Marie; the castle played an important role during the Hundred Years' War  ; its keep must date from the 13th century  or the beginning of the 14th century. In 1437, the "routiers" having seized the castle, it was necessary to raise a contribution to buy it back. The castle and the lordship belonged successively to the families: Lamothe, lords of Bruch, in the 12th century; de Pardaillan de Gondrin - old noble Gascon family which in the 16th century gave  a governor of Agenais and Condomois , then in the following century the first Duke of Antin , legitimized son of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan  ; in the 14th century , Ferrand; Malvezin de Lassale in 1425, and the Benquet, Péticlo, Monorgon, Rémefa, Yzalguier in 1451 (or 1490?), of Narbonne-Lara from 1579; Chapt de Rastignac in 1705. Pierre II de Secondat (1490-1560) was lord of Clermont-Dessous and Roques, then from 1564 his son, Jean II de Secondat (1515-1599), lord of Montesquieu and Roquefort . Co-lord Jacques Yzalguier (or d'Isalguier), lord, baron of Clermont-Dessous and Clermont-le-Fort , married theOctober 20, 1526one of his daughters, Antoinette, to Blaise de Monluc , at the church of Clermont. The dwelling was remodeled in the 15th century  by a co-lord, perhaps Lérôme-Patrice de Monorgon, co-lord who died in 1506, or Jacques Yzalguier. A second main building was built to the north, at the end of the 15th century  or at the beginning of the 16th century ; the facades of old houses, notably in the village of Saint-Médard and the hamlet of Bessou, have retained mullioned windows which could date from this period. Maximilien de Narbonne, lord of Talairan , Combebonnet and Montlau, married in 1579 Isabeau de Cours, daughter of Jean de Cours, lady of Clermont near Port-Sainte-Marie; their son was Jean de Narbonne, lord of Clermont, Combebonnet and Montlau, himself married to Anne Bouchard d'Aubeterre , from whom Louis de Narbonne-Lara (1635-1705), known as "the count of Clermont", lord of Montfort and Combebonnet who had from his marriage with Madeleine de Souillac d'Azerac, Marie-Anne de Narbonne-Lara, lady of Clermont and Combebonnet, married in 1701 with Jacques-Gabriel Chapt, count of Rastignac, baron of Luzech, received "page of the King in his great stable" in 1693, brother of Louis-Jacques Chapt de Rastignac , archbishop of Tours . In 1705 the lordship entered the Chapt de Rastignac family; Jacques-Gabriel Chapt de Rastignac died without issue in 1755, his wife had died in 1703. By his will of 1732, Chapt de Rastignac had given the usufruct of all his property to his sister Jeanne, Marquise de Gaubert, and appointed Pierre Louis Chapt de Rastignac, Count of Puyguilhem, his universal heir. Zénaïde-Sabine de Chapt de Rastignac, Marquise de Rastignac (great-granddaughter of Pierre Louis Chapt, and only daughter of Pierre Jean Julie Chapt , Marquis de Rastignac, and Françoise Charlotte Ernestine de La Rochefoucaud - Doudeauville), married in 1817 to François XIV Marie Auguste Émilien de La Rochefoucauld, Prince of Marcillac then Duke of Liancourt. His portrait is kept at the castle of La Rochefoucauld. In 1818 the lord was the Marquis Pierre Jean Chapt de Rastignac, deputy of Lot and peer of France, who had the Château de Rastignac built, a neo-Palladian style residence which would have served as a model for the American presidential palace. The castle, which fell into ruin in the 19th century  and was then partially restored, is listed as a historic monument .June 20, 1950.