Last time, I looked at the glorious natural environment of Cantal. The built environment is equally worth visiting on days when you don’t feel like walking, or the weather isn’t promising. We made more time during this trip to visit places we didn’t know, and we found some gems.

Churches

I love the little churches that you find in Cantalien villages. They are often squat but appealing, built to withstand the extremes of weather that would make short work of towering spires. The local volcanic rock sometimes gives the churches a sombre aspect, but they blend into the environment. It also weathers well. The roofs are covered with lauzes, split stone tiles, or slates.

I find the belltowers particularly appealing, many of them being clochers en peigne (like a comb). A single rectangular wall has several openings, in each of which hangs a bell. The images below explain them better than I can.

Although stark from the outside, the interiors can be surprisingly light and ornamented. The little Eglise Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Juliette in Saint-Cirgues-de-Jordanne is a good example.

The biggest surprise, though, was the painted ceiling below in l’Eglise Saint-Léger in Cheylade. The tourist office in Vic-sur-Cère suggested this as a short detour on our way to take the Gentiane Express in Riom-ès-Montagnes.

The church has Romanesque origins, but it was largely destroyed during the Hundred Years War and rebuilt and modified in the 15^th and 17^th centuries. The enormous pillars date from one of these later alterations.

Around 1,400 paintings, each one in its own square, cover the ceiling. They are symmetrical on either side of the vault, i.e. each painting has its pair. They represent animals, birds, mythical beasts and angels, all with Christian iconographic significance. They also portray the symmetry and diversity of Creation.

Who painted them? The artist’s name is lost in the mists of time. They appear to have been painted in the mid-18^th century but were inspired by medieval imagery current in the 15th century. Various theories have been put forward to suggest why they were painted, but no definitive evidence has emerged.

The ceiling is an impressive piece of work and apparently unique in Cantal. All this in a tiny village that you could pass by without realising.

Châteaux

Cantal has plenty of these. Sometimes, they are simply ancient fortresses that have crumbled into piles of stones. Other châteaux have been carefully restored, having retained their original features. We visited two this time.

Le Château de Pesteils, Polminhac

This privately owned château occupies a commanding position above the Cère Valley with a wonderful view. The owners don’t allow photography inside. However, you can see pictures of the interior on the château’s website.      

The only part of the original fortress that remains is the donjon (keep; the building with the flag on top), which dates from the 13^th century and is 40 metres (131 feet) high. Fifteenth-century wall paintings decorate the vaulted chamber on the second floor. The rest of the château was modified in the 17^th and 19^th centuries, when the two wings were added.

The donjon has five floors linked by a spiral staircase with 90 steps. The SF, who does that sort of thing, counted them all, but the lady in the ticket office said there were 86. Whoever is right, it’s a long way up, but worth it for the view from the top.

Le château d’Anjony, Tournemire

This fortress, whose exterior remains much the same as when it was first constructed, sits on a rocky spur at the end of the pretty village of Tournemire. The same family has owned it since it was first built in c.1430.

There’s a story attached to the château. It was constructed on the instructions of King Charles VII by Louis d’Anjony, who had fought with Jeanne d’Arc, to reinforce royal authority in the region. However, a château already existed nearby, owned by the Tournemire family, who were staunch upholders of the feudal system and didn’t care for these monarchist upstarts.

Moreover, the new château was built without the prior authorisation of the Tournemire seigneurs. This led to a vendetta, with at least one member of the Anjony family being murdered in 1523. His remains were then dug up by the Tournemires and dumped outside the Anjony château. According to our guide, the two families would shout abuse at each other through horns across the space between the châteaux.

Eventually, they reached a truce, cemented by a dynastic marriage, as was often the case. The fortunes of the Tournemire family took a turn for the worse, and their château fell into ruins. In a final act of revenge in the 18^th century, Claude Anjony built an annex to his château, supposedly using stone from the Tournemires’ castle.

This fortress also boasts splendid 16^th-century wall paintings (again no photography allowed, but you can see more on the YouTube clip below, about 1 minute in). The frescoes in the first floor grande salle were commissioned in 1575 and show les Neuf Preux (the Nine Worthies). Eighteenth-century panelling covered them up until they came to light in the 20th century. The Nine are down to Eight, since Julius Caesar had to give way to a new window installed at the same time as the panelling.

Although built as a defensive fortress, le château d’Anjony never saw any action, apart from the feud with the neighbours. Since the valley is somewhat secluded, the château never suffered assault or besieging and survived the French Revolution.

I said this would be two posts, but I still have some Cantalien highlights to share with you, including that special chambre d’hôtes in Saint-Cirgues-de-Jordanne, and they won’t fit here. In a few short posts, I can’t hope to cover everything, but I hope I can convey something of the spirit of this enchanting part of France.  

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