Travel Guide Ispagnac

Ispagnac was an active town during the Middle Ages and Renaissance (some fine houses to admire), and boasts a fine Romanesque church, built in the 11th century but since altered. Although the town was attacked by Huguenot captain Mathieu Merle in 1580, the building has survived. Well restored, it features a cupola, octagonal bell tower and three-bay nave. The high, deep porch protects a Romanesque portal and a niche built into the wall, which used to house abandoned children. The choice of material, a fine golden limestone, lends a light hue to the building, particularly on the western facade, which features a two-span portal and a groove, perhaps intended to accommodate a defensive element. A number of 17th-century additions have altered the purely Romanesque form, without altering the overall appearance.Following the Tarn, the imposing Gothic bridge at Quézac spans the river. Its importance can only be explained by the need to ensure the passage of the many pilgrims who, in the Middle Ages, came to venerate the Virgin of Quézac. The statue, destroyed by the Huguenots, was replaced and is still the object of a pilgrimage in September. The village of Montbrun, perched on a knoll overlooking the valley, has managed to retain its authentic character by being somewhat removed from the tourist flow of the gorges. Its houses, tightly built in concentric circles, formed a sort of rampart that protected the village; well-preserved, they form a fine architectural ensemble.