Tarascon-sur-Ariège - June 22, 2024

 We've passed and passed through Tarascon-sur-Ariège several times, so today we'll explore this city whose clock tower can be seen from some of the highways we've traveled. 

Dave's plotted out our afternoon which starts with a picnic in the city park along the Ariège River. The weather is not cooperating.  It's cold (for me, but then I'm always cold. The actual temperature is probably the low 60s.) And it's threatening rain. 

In the old town with all my layers

We walked along the Ariège to the stone bridge and crossed over into the old town. 

As is true of most medieval villages, Tarascon was once walled with its houses huddled together along narrow lanes, opening on a central arcaded square where markets were and continue to be held.

ruins of town walls

It's best feature is its setting, nestled at the confluence of the Ariège and the Vicdessos Rivers which flow out of intersecting glacial valleys of  the same name. 

Outside the old city, this building on the right is the "club house" for several local organizations, including the "Committee of Festivals" Sign me up!

A clock tower, la Tour Castella, was added on the high point of the city in 1775. 

Dave recorded the views from this vantage point of Tarascon's breath-taking setting. 

Back in its central square, we checked out the bell tower, la Tour Michel, remains of a church of the same name from 1382 which disappeared mid-19th century. This tower would have been part of the city walls and used for defensive purposes as well.

Also on the square is a very plain church from the outside which is well-preserved inside. Notre Dame de la Daurade has been both Catholic and Protestant in its checkered history. The current building is 16th century, built over the 11th century church.

We walked back across the Ariège River to the "new" part of town. Some buildings attest to their modernity, 

but then there is another church, the Eglise St Quitterie. This building was finished in 1820 after the first 2 churches were destroyed by floods in 1622 and 1722 (hundred year floods, perhaps?) This church was built on higher ground. 

On the way home, we took a quick detour at Les Pujols, just a few miles from our house. I've been intrigued by the road sign pointing into the village "fortified church". Worth a quick visit. There's more to this village than we realized passing through it just about everywhere we go. Definitely fortified.