Le Single (by mountain-bike)

7 points of interest

• Agriculture

  The gardens of Ispagnac

  Ispagnac is in the contact zone of limestone, granite and schist bedrock. The valley of Ispagnac is irrigated by the river Tarn and, being protected from the north and north-western winds, it enjoys an almost southern climate. This has earned it the nickname of “garden of the Lozère”. A market gardener and two wine-makers are based here.

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  Architecture

  Quézac Bridge

  This bridge crossing the river Tarn gives access to the village of Quézac, located on the left bank. Around 1350, Pope Urban V decided to fund its construction to facilitate pilgrims' access to the collegiate church of Notre-Dame de Quézac. It was finished in the 15th century. Its history is punctuated by partial destruction in floods, and by more or less solid rebuilding. It became a listed monument on 27 August 1931.

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  History

  Notre-Dame de Quézac

  The collegiate church of Quézac – today Notre-Dame church – was fortified in the 14th century at the instigation of Pope Urban V. The first building is believed to have been erected in 1052 in honour of Our Lady of Quézac. Legend has it that a   ploughman found a black Virgin while ploughing a furrow, which he brought into the church. However, it disappeared during the night, and the next day was found again in the furrow. The decision was taken to build an oratory on the spot chosen by the Virgin, and soon large numbers of pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella visited Quézac. Today, a stained-glass window illustrates the dedication of the collegiate church to Our Lady.

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  Fauna

  Eurasian eagle-owl

  This bird of prey is the largest nocturnal bird. Its ideal habitat is a mosaic of vegetation and topography that provides at once an abundance of prey, good hunting conditions, many places to rest during the day, and possible nesting-sites. This species tends to be faithful to one reproduction site for several years. The eagle-owl is very sensitive to disturbances and to changes to the immediate surroundings of its site. It is a protected species.

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  Architecture

  Le Tomple

  The houses in this hamlet (altitude 976 m) have been built from limestone blocks using a lime mortar. Some have been rendered. Such construction methods are characteristic for traditional architecture. The stones for building came from the plateau's quarries. The lack of wood forced builders to do without: no timber roof structures, just a stone vault covered by lauzes (flat stones). Traditionally made from limestone, these lauzes started to be replaced by schist lauzes a few years ago. These techniques mean that Causse houses are solidly built, with only small openings.

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  Landscape

  Mont Lozère

  From the plateau, you can see all of Mont Lozère. At 1,699 m, the Pic de Finiels is the department's highest point. Mont Lozère stretches for some thirty kilometres, west-east from the Causse de Sauveterre to Villefort, and south-north from Le Pont de Montvert to Le Bleymard. It is an exclusively granite massif, on which the river Tarn has its spring.

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  History

  Brutus Cazal, poet and committed citizen.

  Monteils is the hamlet in which Louis Brutus Cazal was born and died. He was one of those primary school teachers who were nicknamed “black ravens of the Republic”. He called his daughters Léa Fraternité and Léa Liberté to express his republican sentiments, which were common to many Protestant families at the time. A poet and defender of the Occitan language, he wrote a collection of poems entitled Les Lozériens. From 1925 on, he devoted himself to tourism in the Cévennes and founded the Club Cévenol. His son, Aimé Cazal, laid out two important tourist sites: Bramabiau chasm and Dargilan cave.

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