Everything French Travel Magazine November 2013 | Page 31

Belves | Beautiful Village of France
Belves is a pretty medieval town that sits high
above the Nauze Valley in the Dordogne. The
town lies 34 km SW of Sarlat.
The town has 7 bell towers and withstood wars
and invasion to have a wonderfully preserved old
town centre and a lovely market square.
History
Historians believe that the Celts first settle here in
250BC. Due to its safe position high on a rocky
spur it became a Roman market town. The
Visigoths settled in the area after the downfall of
the Roman empire and then after a brutal war the
Franks. In 848 the town was destroyed by the
Normans and Vikings who plundered many towns
in their sweep across the country.

The town and most of the surrounding area was
devastated in the 10th and 11th centuries by the
plague which killed tens of thousands of people.
After the marriage of Helen of Aquitaine to Henry
Plantagenet the town came under English rule
and the area was one of the major battlegrounds
of the 100 years war and the town suffered much
damaged.
The town also suffered greatly through the war of
religions and for a time was held by the
Protestants.
Belves was the capital of the region in the 18th
century and now is a delightful town to visit with a
typical bastide layout and centre.

Things to See and Do
Covered Market
Dating from the 15th century. Note the pilori chain
on one of the pillars. This was put round the neck
of wrong-doers and they were held there for two
or three days.
Le Castrum
The old town originates from the 11/12th century
and was originally surrounded by ramparts. The
Belfry was built in the 11th century and was
originally a defensive tower overhanging a deep
moat in which people lived in caves.
Troglodyte Dwellings
At the bottom of the moat the troglodytes lived
and a visit to the "Habitations troglodytiques" is
interesting.

Tour de l'Auditeur
This tower dates from the 11th century. Guards
would enter by ladder and then pull it up to
prevent intruders.
La Tour du Guet
This is another watch tower that dates from the
middle ages and overlooks the valley and so
could warn when the enemy approached.
Hotel Bontemps
This building dates to the 12th century and was
renovated in 1520 in the Italian Renaissance
style.

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