A little jewelwith golden stones

Faycelles

Ten minutes from Figeac, between valleys of the Lot and the Célé, Faycelles reveals itself like a sentinel clinging to the cliff. A real little gem with golden stones, the picturesque village offers us sumptuous views of the green landscapes of the Lot valley. This village with its Quercy stone architecture is one of the key stages on the way from Puy-en-Velay to Compostela. The section from Faycelles to Cajarc is even registered on the Unesco World Heritage list. Cobbled streets, sumptuous bourgeois residences built in the time of the wine trade, we fall under the charm of this preserved and authentic village!

A story

related to the cliff

The history of Faycelles has always been linked to thecliff, having served as a shelter for men since the Paleolithic.

Exceptional rock paintings, witnesses of Magdalenian art, have been found in the grotte des Graves. A wall engraved on 3 meters reveals two friezes of horses, a female figure without a head and an aurochs. The cave is not accessible in order to preserve these rare motifs of cave art.

First established at the foot of its cliffs, the village settled in the fifteenth century on the rocky spur, around the château.

In the nineteenth century, the village grew rich with its vineyards, as evidenced by the beautiful homes. The phylloxera will put an end to this prosperity.

Today, Faycelles is a small village with aQuercynois charm where pigeon houses, caselles, houses with flat tile roofs, bolets are mixed.

What to see in Faycelles

The must-haves

The church
The Fort House and the beautiful 16th and 17th century mansions
The fountains
The tower gaillarde and the former presbytery
Thewashhouses
The dolmens

Wander through the alleys following the discovery trail, The Keys of Faycelles.

Sur le chemin de Saint-Jacques à Faycelles

A past

at the edge of the lanes

At the entrance to the village, one cannot help but be attracted by the imposing church. Built on the ruins of the former château fort, it sits enthroned on the Place Gaillarde. Nearby, the Gaillarde tower, a vestige of the castle’s ramparts, watches over the Lot valley.

The names of the village’s alleys transport us to the atmosphere of the life of other times: the path of the schoolchildren, the street of the cooper, the street of the carillonneurs, the street of the forge, the street of the mercière. In this last one, formerly called the Carrière de Julie, the store of Julie, the mercière, was a real bazaar! One could find dried vegetables, thread, needles, fabric, sweets, and even children’s toys! We discover the fountains where the inhabitants drew water, washed clothes or watered the animals.

From the barri des Cardes to the gate of the bastide leading to the old Roman road, we let ourselves be lulled by this sweet atmosphere.

The circuit

cliffs

Thisideal hike with children offers superb panoramas of the Lot valley. The circuit goes along the cliff, a botanical path along low walls, terraces, in an undergrowth. The children will enjoy hiding in a corner of cliff cut at the beginning of the course. Goats even come to greet us along the way. The bucolic garden is ideal for picnicking! As we climb back up, at the Mas de Graville, a sublime panorama opens up on the Cantal Mountains.