Saturday 7 September 2013

Walking with Visigoths

The Visigoths, who were a Germanic tribe, challenged the Roman Empire in its dying days. They occupied this part of France from about 400 – 500. The Visigoth Kingdom’s capital was in Toulouse until the Franks drove them into Spain in 507.

Evidence of their time in the Aude can be clearly seen in and around the Minervois village of Villarzel  Carbardes.  So last weekend, following  an article appearing in L’Independent, showing a guided walk, we went off in search of  Visigoth graves.
Setting off, between some houses, near the entrance to the village, on the D335,  ( after a somewhat frustrating drive around the village, looking for the starting point )we followed a reasonably well marked route which took us past some spectacular views, some fascinating local oddities, and eventually to les tombes Wisigoths.

 
After walking through vineyards, where the grapes are starting to hang heavily from the vines, we passed the Chateau de Villarlong, which has been converted to apartments. It was quite a sight. The gardens contain a giraffe and some blue sheep….not what you expect in what looked, otherwise to be, a very formal French garden.


 
Living in Yorkshire, we are used to stone walls and sheep.....but not quite like this.
 
After passing some ancient lavoirs, we came to the church of Saint Pierre. It is almost a ruin…but has beautiful stain glass windows. They looked new, or recently restored, which all seemed a little odd , within the walls of an almost derelict building. Perhaps not so strange as the giraffe and blue sheep though.

 
 
A further walk through vines and  past spectacular cypress trees led to the Visigoth cemetery. The site was excavated in 1967, but was well known , by locals, before that. It was known locally as la Colline des morts.

 
 



It dates from between the 5th and 7th centuries and contains 44 graves, arranged in family groupings  on a peaceful hillside. Artifacts found at the site includes earrings, bracelets, pottery  and drinking glasses. These can now be seen at a small museum in the village.
 
 
We started the walk early, to avoid the heat but by the time we had arrived at the grave site, the sun was quite high.  This was my first longish walk for sometime, so we sat for a while, under the trees alongside the graves. The ancient branches gave a subtle filtered sunlight to the peaceful, gentle scene.
 
We continued through more open fields, and vineyards, and past some beautiful views of the mountains. This included Montagne d’Alirac….named after the king who led the Visigoth army when they sacked Rome in 410.
 We were very tempted to pick the rose-hips and blackberries which seemed to be growing everywhere, and eventually wound our way back to our starting point.
The circular walk is about 7kms, and took us about 2 hours. It was all gentle walking, with no particularly difficult inclines…..perfect for me…….and , it was beautiful.
 

                                                                                    

25 comments:

  1. That looks to have been a beautiful walk...and I too wonder about those windows in a semi derelict church.

    It's one of the things France does so well...set up walks that allow you to really get to grips with your surroundings....and make discoveries.

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    1. I'm just glad I managed to retrieve the photos I thought I had lost...although I did just think that I could do the walk again, as it was so enjoyable.

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    2. PS Helen, I did try to find out about the church and its really interesting windows, but came up with nothing at all. A great deal of money must have been spent on the windows, there were 3 or 4 of them I think, but the insides of the building were derelict.Odd.

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  2. What a perfect walk. A little bit of everything, including the unexpected - giraffe and blue sheep included in this. That window is definitely new, isn't it?
    You seem to have found a bit of France that is incredibly ecclectic and vahed - I don't remember the Indre being quite like this when I used to go there. I love it!

    Wisigoths often have a bad press but it makes hard hearts soften to see such ancient family groups buried together. We have some very old burial grounds not too far from us - I find them very atmospheric places.

    Great signs of your full return to health, Janice, and long may that continue.

    Axxx

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    1. I loved the blue sheep. I was trying to imagine Ralph's ( the sheep farmer from where we used to live in Mankinholes)face, if these has suddenly appeared in one of his fields.
      The grave site was very atmospheric, and having to make a bit of an effort to get to it, added to the experience. It is not a site you can drive to within a few yards, get out of the car and have a look before driving off again. It is at a point on the walk when you ( or maybe just I ) needed a sit down and a rest. Take care, see you soon ! Jxxxx

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  3. Wonderful photos Janice.Felt like i was on the walk myself.

    I really liked the giraffe and the blue sheep. x Maria.

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    1. Thanks Maria...I must admit to completely loving the blue sheep, and as you can imagine, I was so pleased to finally retrieve the photos from this walk. Jx

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  4. What a lovely walk - I can't resist a graveyard whatever the era. I love the blue sheep and giraffe - just what I was looking for to put in my garden.

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    1. I did think of you when we found the site, and how the team that excavated it back in the 60s must have felt when they saw its extent. As for the sheep....they would be perfect in my garden too....not so sure how the giraffe would blend in !

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  5. Fascinating and magical! And a reminder that we MUST start doing a long walk each week - not just an endless tramp around a showground, racecourse etc.

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    1. Somehow, walking round fairs etc. never seems like an effort, and I bet you walk as far at some of the big ones ! It was a great walk, and has encouraged me to plan a few more. Mind you, yesterday we walked quite a way around a great brocante market in a village called La Grasse. You would have loved it.

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  6. What a lovely walk and as usual great photos. Glad you are feeling so well these days xxx

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    1. The walk was a great piece of evidence for me...that yes, I am feeling so much better. Thanks Ayak. take care x

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  7. A really interesting post, Janice, and thank you for telling us about the Visigoths (about which I knew nothing). The grave yard is really special, and amazing it is still there after so long. The stained glass window is very pretty, and, yes, seems new - a puzzlement indeed! The blue sheep are rather cool, but seem strange juxtaposed with the elegant old chateau. Well, it's France, so it's artistic, right? Glad you enjoyed the rather long walk, and are feeling well. xxx

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    1. I have to say, I know very little about the V/Wisigoths, and yes, the condition of the graves was stunning considering their age. It must have been an amazing find back in the 60s. I haven't been able to find out anything about the church at all, so it remains a mystery at the moment. I loved the odd additions to the chateau gardens....someone's idea of great fun. I trust you are feeling well too ! jx

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  8. Fascinating post, Janice. Your photograpgs really give us a sense of taking that walk with you. I love the chateau and it's varied wildlife.

    In France the idea is to always expect the unexpected.

    This is probably why we love it so much!!

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    1. Yes, we went walking, knowing that we were going to enjoy the walk itself, see some lovely countryside, and find some ancient graves....but giraffes and blue sheep were a bit of a shock ! Jx

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  9. Hi Janice, I have a holiday home in Villeneuve, and found your blog when searching for Minervois things. Have done this walk a couple of times, but missed the windows in the Church, and didn't know the chateau had been converted to apartments. Good to hear that you are getting back to good health.
    Here is a link to other local walks.
    http://www.hautminervois.fr/1-19611-Randonnees.php
    Les Capitelles in Laure Minervois may be good - 10 km

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    1. Thanks so much for commenting John, and for the links to the walk site. Funnily enough, a friend from Villeneuve has just recommended Les Capitelles walk, and we will be doing that in the next week or so I think.
      The chateau apartments can be rented by the week I think... I did find a web site advertising vacation rentals somewhere.
      The walk was lovely, and if you have looked at some of my previous posts you will have picked up that I am recovering from being ill at the moment. Caunes is a great place to do it. I don't know how often you are in Villeneuve, but I expect we will know some of the same people, and it would be good to meet up at sometime. Do you blog ? I looked at your profile, but failed to find a link....possibly something I missed though.
      Again, thanks for reading, and commenting. very best wishes, Janice.

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  10. What a wonderful walk and your photos are well worth waiting for, Janice. I love history, right back to pre-history, and would have really enjoyed the walk, with the chateau, church and those spectacular graves. The giraffe and blue sheep are very French. They are very much into public art, often of the most surprising kind. :-) I look forward to the fruits of future walks.

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    1. Apart from enjoying the walk just for itself, completing it so easily has given me the confidence to attempt longer walks....a 10km one is planned for tomorrow. ( and I can always take a pause...to take a photo ! ) The sheep and giraffe will take a lot of beating though. Take care...I think the surgery is pretty soon now isn't it ? Jx

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  11. What a peaceful, interesting, inspiring walk this was to take with you across the the sphere. Your pictures are fabulous. How did you know I would need a rest underneath that tree, communing with millenia - and you must have known how fun it was to see the sheep and giraffe.

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    1. It was great fun...and inspiring too. What a great combination for a walk ! Jx

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  12. Thanks for your reply Janice. My brother and his partner are staying at the house at the moment. Just heard from them that they enjoyed a concert in Caunes. Will get in touch before next visit, or spot you at the Fountain bar!

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