A romantic medieval city, Rodez is stacked with culture and acquires its magic with the brilliant pink sandstone used in its buildings.
One of the grandest is the warlike cathedral that looks like no church you’ve seen before and was made to keep attackers out as much as invite worshippers in. The city is home to Pierre Soulages, one of France's most acclaimed living painters, who has been honored with an entirely new museum full of his paintings and sculptures. Just as appealing as the major attractions are the city's old streets, bursting with medieval castles and Renaissance, with ornate stone steles looking as fresh as they are from centuries. before. Discover the best things to do in Rodez.
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1. Rodez Cathedral
Completely rebuilt in that pink sandstone in 1276, Rodez Cathedral is a wonderful blend of the sophistication of Gothic and military architecture that might be famous for its tall bell tower 87 meters.
Unlike most other churches in the world, the western façade is completely shut down by a beautiful stone wall, nothing more than arrow rings until you reach the high rose window. Soaring on Place d’Armes.
You can blame this severe appearance on the cathedral’s position right on Rodez’s western city wall.
You might lose track of time browsing the rich interiors, where the choir stalls and rood screen possess astounding 15th-century workmanship, and the various chapels have marble tomb sculptures and murals from the 1300s.
2. Musée Fenaille
The Renaissance Hôtel de Jouéry is among the oldest and most elegant residences in the city, with moldings and pilasters on its facade and a courtyard with gorgeous wooden galleries.
It has all a noble backdrop to a museum that outlines the history of the Rouergue region, returning to the Neolithic period. The showpiece here is the Dame de Saint-Sernin, a statue menhir discovered in 1888 in nearby Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance and estimated to be around 5,000 years old.
3. Old Town
The Rodezát-Ville Center requires a closer look at its ancient street plan and spread the beautiful old houses. In the southern part of the old town, around the Place du Bourg, these residences belonged to merchants and nobility.
While the neighborhood surrounding the church and the palace further north is Cité, reserved for the clergy. The call of medieval and Renaissance treasures lasts and will keep curious souls occupied for hours.
Just glance at the unseen places, there, Maison de Benoît, a Renaissance house with an old gothic gallery and Maison de Guitard, the 14th-century bank house you know about by the tower. its muscles.
And just up from the cathedral is the Hôtel DeLauro, a splendid residence for canons built in the 1500s.
4. Musée Soulages
One of the most notable figures to come out of Rodez in recent times is the artist Pierre Solange, identified by his predilection for the color black. After a long construction, this stylish museum was unveiled not far from the cathedral in 2014 at a ceremony attended by President Hollande.
Since the project was announced more than a decade ago the artist has donated hundreds of works in two batches valued at millions of Euros. So in an enthralling setting, you can spend some time in the company of Soulanges’ celebrated painting, sculpture, lithographs, screenprints, and photography.
5. Episcopal Palace
A sight to behold from the outside, the Rodez Islamic Episcopal Palace is one of the medieval mooring sites and is now the home of the Aveyron Joint Council. This mansion for Bishop Rodez was originally joined with the church and the ramparts but had to move when the church expanded in the 15th century.
It had a turbulent time at its new location and was destroyed in the French Wars of Religion.
The entire complex was restored again in the 19th century, and the oldest remaining element is the Tour de Corbières, which dates to 1443. Pop into the courtyard for great vistas of the cathedral’s bell tower.
6. Maison d’Armagnac
Worthy of its own entry, Maison batArmagnac is one of the most photographed attractions in Rodez and can be found on Place de l 'Olmert. This glorious four-story house was built between 1525 and 1531 by a rich local merchant.
Take as long as you like to study the masterful stonework, with its corbels, pilasters, and medallions representing Rodez’s nobility. The house was located just where the Earl of Armagnac's castle used to be, that's how it got its name.
7. Musée des Beaux-Arts Denys-Puech
The local sculptor Denys Puech was very active during the French Third Republic (1870-1940) when he received many official commissions from the government. In 1903 he founded this museum, and its Art Nouveau building commands a sensational view over Rodez from the elevated part of the city.
In addition to Puech sculpture, there are also permanent collections of Maurice Bompard and engravings by Eugène Viala, both of whom are original Aveyron painters who worked in the early 20th century.
To bring the museum up to date, there is also a temporary exhibition for contemporary artists.
8. Église Saint-Amans
Another proud sandstone building, this church near Place du Bourg originated in the 1100s but began to collapse in the 1600s. So it was closed down and rebuilt using the same stones in the Baroque style in the middle of the 18th century, while the Romanesque interior was left mostly unchanged.
The 5th-century Saint Amans was Rodez’s first bishop, and a range of miracles are attributed to him. You can learn about these in the best way possible by poring over the astounding 16th-century tapestries that adorn the church’s chancel.
9. Weekly Markets
Rodez’s two main squares, Place du Bourg and Place de la Cité burst into life on market days. There are two a week at the period setting of the Place du Bourg, on Wednesday and Saturday.
At the midweek market, you have about 60 merchants selling regional produce and food like pizzas and paella prepared on the spot. The big one though is the Saturday market, which sets up on both squares and has up to 160 stalls.
This is a real sight to join with fruit, vegetables, cheese, charcuteries, cakes and freshly made meals that they also sell live poultry here.
10. La Chasse aux Monstres
Medieval architecture can be a bit dry for the littler members of the family. But Rodez’s tourist office has come up with a way to get children involved. Around the old town are centuries-old carvings of strange and whimsical creatures, many of which are hidden high in buildings or buried in dark niches.
So with the help of an expert guide and a pair of binoculars kids can go on a monster hunt around the center, finding the city’s quirkiest gargoyles and getting a history lesson without realizing it!
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