Saint Sauveur des Pourcils
Saint-Sauveur-Camprieu

Saint Sauveur des Pourcils

Architecture and village
Forest
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Saint-Sauveur – the birthplace of reforestation on the Aigoual massif – today seems to lie abandoned in its dense forest setting. And yet the hamlet has a rich and intense past.
Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils was one of the great farm estates of the Aigoual massif, bought by the forestry office in the late 19th century. The hamlet only consists of a church and a few buildings, including an imposing farmstead that looks almost like a castle. But the existing buildings make it easy to understand several traditional construction techniques. Nearby, the walk continues through part of the vast arboretum that highlights a great variety of species and some remarkable specimens.

5 points of interest

  • History

    A cemetery that reveals histories

    The small cemetery of Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils, so peaceful today, reveals a rich and eventful history. The gravestones bear the names of Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish and Muslim families. This religious plurality is partly due to the arrival in the 20th century of foreign workers to mine argentiferous lead and copper in the neighbouring hamlet of Villemagne. During the murky period of World War II, the wife of a resistance fighter and her six children took refuge in the surrounding area. The Muslim graves bear witness to the period following the Algerian War when a camp for harkis was set up in the region. These Algerian Muslims, who had served in the French army, were employed by the French Forestry Office for the reforestation of the Aigoual massif.
  • History

    A church at the heart of it all

    Why was such an imposing church built in a small hamlet? The profound attachment of the parishioners to their place of worship was key. The church was destroyed three times, by Protestants (1562 and 1703) and by the ravages of time (1848). But each time the parishioners who lived in neighbouring hamlets decided to rebuild it. Despite this determination, the church and cemetery were eventually transferred to Camprieu (1871). The episcopal authorities cited difficulties in accessing the place of worship and disagreements between the mayor and parish priest. The local faithful, who were opposed to the transfer, managed to keep masses for the yearly pilgrimage, baptisms, funerals and weddings in St-Sauveur.
  • Natural environment

    Un domaine agricole reboisé

    Today, the hamlet of Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils is surrounded by trees but in the 19th century the Aigoual massif was bare! Its reforestation began as a state programme managed by foresters. The French Forestry Office bought many farm estates to turn them into foresters’ houses. Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils had all the required characteristics: buildings for housing foresters; varied soils; good sun exposure; and water nearby (the river below). The foresters set up a tree nursery to grow young trees and an arboretum to test how well-adapted different species were.
  • Architecture

    Castle or farm estate?

    In the 12th century, minor vassal lords of the Roquefeuil family ruled from a castle at Saint-Sauveur des Pourcils. They lived in autarky with their livestock, large pastures and a share of the farmers’ harvests. No remains from that period survive. The main building looks more like a farmhouse. Over the centuries, the castle has become a large farm estate with outbuildings.
  • Natural environment

    Arboretum

    To begin with, arboretums were experiments to study the behaviour of tree species introduced to the massif as part of the reforestation programme from the late 19th century on. Over time, their scientific character gave way to a more educational and ornamental outlook. On the Aigoual, the French Forestry Office maintains a network of arboretums that are representative of the forest’s diversity and of the work carried out by foresters on the massif since the early 20th century.
    The waymarked circuit only covers a part of the vast arboretum.

Description


From the car park, the path first leads into the centre of the hamlet, before entering the arboretum by a trail that leads down into the forest towards the brook. Once you have crossed a footbridge, the path gently heads uphill to the track that takes you back to the car park.
  • Departure : Saint Sauveur hamlet
  • Arrival : Saint Sauveur hamlet
  • Towns crossed : Saint-Sauveur-Camprieu

Forecast


Altimetric profile


Recommandations

It is not advisable to access Saint-Sauveur hamlet after heavy rainfall (which may affect the state of the tracks). Please respect the signposting for forestry work along the access tracks.

Horses and mountain bikes are not allowed on discovery trails. 
Is in the midst of the park
The national park is an unrestricted natural area but subjected to regulations which must be known by all visitors.

Information desks

Tourism & national parc'house

Col de la Serreyrède, 30570 Val d'Aigoual

https://www.sudcevennes.comoffice-du-tourisme-causse@wanadoo.fr04 67 82 64 67

The Maison de l'Aigoual houses the tourism office Mont Aigoual Causses Cévennes and the Maison du Parc national. This visitor centre provides information on and raises awareness of the Cévennes National Park, its sites and events as well as the rules that must be observed in the National Park's central zone.

On site: changing exhibitions, video projections, Festival Nature events and shop Open year-round

Find out more

Access and parking

From Camprieu, on the D157, intersection at Villemagne, then 1.2 km of forestry track suitable for motor vehicles. From Camprieu on the D986 (direction Meyrueis), intersection 3 km after the Abîme de Bramabiau reappearing river, then 2.8 km of forestry track suitable for motor vehicles.

Parking :

You must use the hamlet’s marked car park.

Source

Parc national des Cévenneshttp://www.cevennes-parcnational.fr/

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