Fontfouillouse

3 points of interest

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  History

  St-Marcel de Fontfouilhouse

  The monks of St-Chaffre, who had settled in Sainte-Enimie in the first half of the 10th century, decided that this site would make a good stopover on their trips between the Causses limestone plateaux and the coast, especially since a large draille (drovers’ road) passed through it. Thus, in the early 12th century, the monks entrusted the building of a church to local stone masons, who used schist and fraidonite as construction materials. The choir was finished in the early 12th century, and a new round of works finished the nave with its pointed barrel vault during the second half of the century. In 1503 two chapels (no longer extant) were added to the north and a bell tower to the south. Set alight during the Camisard rebellion, the church has been the object of conservation efforts by association Les Amis des Cévennes since 1973

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  Fauna

  Look up!

  In the forest, Dartford warblers (black, burgundy belly) accompany your efforts by chirping from the top of broom bushes. You might also come across their cousin, the much more colourful Eastern subalpine warbler (orange belly), or else a Northern wheatear.  
  The ridges are home to two rare bird species, protected in both France and the European Union:  the red-backed shrike and the Eurasian eagle-owl. Other interesting protected species, such as the Eleonora’s falcon and the common rock thrush, may also be observed here.

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  History

  The keep of Monteils castle

  The castle to which this tower belonged was once part of the La Fare barony. It occupied a platform of about 400 m2; the ditch which used to protect its northwestern side has been filled in. The first three stories of this remarkable rectangular keep, which covers an area of 70 m2 on the ground, remain. They are built out of handsome schist dimension stones and have resisted due to the sturdiness of the thick walls, which are solid stone throughout. An enclosed courtyard once surrounded the keep. The stones from the castle and its surrounding wall were reused to build the hamlet’s houses.