The sight of Lodéve will take your breath away ! Niched in scenery of hills covered with forest and rocks, not far from the Salagou Lake, this city of art and history will take you on a trip in time. It was a stop along the Compostelle Trail and a very influential Episcopal town up to the French Revolution. It has all of the architectural splendors that an ancient regional capitol could be proud of.  Its magic might come from its religious center and the cobblestones of the roads that are direct indicators of how prosperous the textile industry here really was. The elegant mansions, the Episcopal palace built between 1667 and 1779, and the 12th and 14th century Saint-Fulcran Cathedrale are also clues that the city was thriving. The cathedral is a fortified gothic structure with a vast nef and a remarkable polygonal apse and a powerful ornately decorated bell tower. The structure is protected by sculpted gargoyles watching out from their capitols.

The Manufacture Nationale de la Savonnerie, a place where a four hundred year old weaving technique is used also shows the importance of this craft. The Fleury Museum serves as a scene for sculpotor Paul Dardé’s work. This city-museum is full of life all summer long with numerous festivals and shows that are the perfect examples of how this poetic artistic sprit defines Lodève.

www.tourisme-lodevois-larzac.com