Bédouès-Cocurès is a town in Lozère, in Occitan region, 35 km south of Mende.
It was established in January 1, 2016 following the merger of Cocurès, its seat (204 inhabitants) and Bédouès (278 inhabitants), totaling almost 500 inhabitants now.
Located in the high valley of the Tarn, bordering the southwest of Florac, the territory of the resort is vast 30 square kilometers, consisting of grasslands bordering the course of the Tarn and wooded slopes form the foothills of the Cévennes. Ranging from 540 to 1170 meters, Bédouès-Cocurès succession average mountain, belonging to both the Massif Central and the Cévennes National Park.
The two ancient villages emphasize their historical heritage and the quality of their protected environment: the new town that has always been rural and agricultural (pastoralism) thus reveals a paradise for lovers of hiking and green tourism!
Localized either side of the course of the Tarn, the two ancient villages have a heritage justifying a discovery tour.
It will include Cocurès on the Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and once crossed the bridge Pontèze several sites Bédouès.
As Miral Castle, overlooking the confluence of the small river Runes and Tarn, which dates from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and has preserved a majestic and defensive pace, despite the additions made to the sixteenth and seventeenth. Sold Revolution, he threatened ruins when it was bought in the 1980s and included in the Inventory. Its owners have undertaken since the restoration work.
Castle Arigès (XVI and XVII), under renovation, Castle Issenges (erected in 1624 on the foundations of a medieval fortified house, now protected as historical monuments) in the heart of a domain agricultural, bear witness to the wealth and power of the great families of Gevaudan once established in the territory.
However, with the exception still standing stones of the Can Issenges, the religious heritage of Bédouès which especially noteworthy.
The collegiate church of Our Lady of the Assumption, as well, is a real gem: it was built in 1363 by order of Pope Urban V, a native of the hamlet of Grizac, to house the grave of his parents. The building in the fortified part, however, was very affected during the Wars of Religion, after troops of the Huguenot captain Matthew Merle were seized in and had killed the canons who lived there and served. Rebuilt in more modest dimensions, the college was again damaged in the Revolution and the nineteenth century, a new restoration is initiated on the original foundation. The materials (slate) and architecture (nice tower, Latin cross and original presence of two levels: one for the worship, the other to accommodate the religious) of the fourteenth century are again respected.
It is observed that if the outside is sober (except the arms of the Pope on the eardrum), the interior is rich enough.
Another religious building is worth a detour the Saint-Saturnin (former parish church) in the heart of the village (as the college, she dominates), it was built in the twelfth century. The future Pope Urban V was baptized there. In the nineteenth century, the chapel became the property of the Cabot Family Fare. At his initiative, the walls and ceilings are then decorated with frescoes by an Italian-born painter. It was at heart reuse techniques fifteenth century and in terms of reasons, chose to represent the family patron saints then owner. The set, which also includes finely crafted stained glass, is a first class setting.
Note that a restoration project to protect the murals of moisture should be initiated shortly. As the college, the chapel is freely accessible every day. Information +33 4 66 45 23 49.
At the crossroads of the Tarn gorges, limestone plateaus, Cevennes and Mont Lozère, the town also reveals a paradise for hikers who enjoy a remarkable environment and preserved landscapes.
Two major routes through Bédouès-Cocurès are put forward: the GR 70 first, who gets the path taken through the Cevennes in 1878 by the Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson, and the GR 670 that connects Aubrac and Lozère in Avignon (then seat of the papacy) through the Cevennes and Gard. This is the way said Urbain V.
Other trails are marked, including the banks of the Tarn or the foothills of Mount Lozère and woodlots, for example. Maps and information +33 4 66 45 01 14.
Finally, it should join the House of the Cévennes National Park, labeled territory "UNESCO World Heritage" because of the richness and variety of its landscapes and ecosystems. Hikes, workshops, events, exhibitions are regularly programmed for everyone. Contact the +33 4 66 49 53 00.
On 13 July, in the evening, on the occasion of the national holiday, meal dancing and fireworks fired from the college.
The 3rd Sunday of July garage sale.
The last Sunday of July, sales exhibition "broc'art" with works of artists or artisans specializing in crafts (sculpture, basketry, pottery...) around the college and in the village of Bédouès.
