Gaillac and Beyond
Gaillac is somewhat overshadowed by its more famous neighbours of Bordeaux and Langeudoc. But it has beautiful historic buildings and offers the traveller a taste of fine living
Looking down the broad fields and gently rolling hills you can see why some people think of Gaillac as the other Tuscany. Like its Italian cousin, it not only has a breath-taking panorama of vineyards and dusty chateaux, but it also has a seriously good reputation when it comes to food.
The area derives its name from the small market town of Gaillac, which nestles at the centre of an area that produces some of the finest red wine in the country. Red is also the predominant colour of the region. When the Benedictine Monks first settled here in 972 AD, they built their Monastery with the traditional thin red bricks, made from the clay from the banks of the River Tarn.
And looking at the 12th Century Abbey that stands in its place now, its vast structure seems to shoot up from that very river at least one hundred feet below. In fact, even for those who do not suffer from vertigo, walking across the Pont Saint Michel, which links the Abbey with its old vineyards, is an exhilarating test of courage.
Back through the maze of narrow streets is the remarkable Château et Parc de Foucard. Built in the 1660s to emulate the house and gardens of the Villa D’Este in Tivoli outside Rome, it is now the home of a collection of paintings and sculptures from the 19th and 20th Century.
Wine dominates the region. Almost every available patch of land is devoted to the production of the noble grape. Driving out of town, along a tree lined avenue, each house seems to own its own pocketsize vineyard. A special treat is ‘fraicheur perle’ – an elegant dry white wine, best served as an aperitif. It is also recommended as an accompaniment to one of the other local specialities - pigeon. Knowing this explains the popularity of dovecotes or pigeonniers in country houses. Every October the locals scan the skies for the annual migration of the Palombe (woodpigeon). They are served up in a tasty cassoulet, or flambéed in Armangac. Indeed Gaillac is a culinary heaven and most of the local wildlife features on menus, other staples include pheasant, quail, and Sanglier (Wild Boar).
But it is the countryside that makes the place. The lines of vines running down the fields and the hill top chateaux add to the impression of relaxed fi ne living. Thankfully the mass tourist invasion of the nineties, which bypassed Gaillac and headed north to The Dordogne and south to Languedoc, left this area much less crowded. And that has enabled it to keep its own character. Many years ago one French President called this part of the world “La France Profonde”– the essence of France. Happily that same description could still be used today.
5 Unmissable Sights
›› Musée de L’Abayee, Place Saint Michel, Gaillac. Set in the vaults of the Monastery, it houses a collection of Roman relics, religious art, and the history of winemaking in the area.
›› Musée des Beaux Arts, Château de Focaud et Parc, Avenue Dom Vayssette, Gaillac. It has a number of paintings by Salabert Firmin (a pupil of the more famous Ingres) showing scenes from the countryside and market town. The Gardens are worth a visit just for themselves.
›› Gresigne Forest - 8 km from Gaillac. Near the town of Castelnau de Montmiral, lie 3600 hectares of beautiful forest. Maps of local trails and guides are available from the Tourist Office there. A leisure park also provides camping facilities as well as outward-bound activities like hiking and kayaking.
›› A walking tour of Cordes sur Ciel in English can be arranged through the local tourist office. A visit to the local craft mill – Maison du Pays Cordais – at the foot of the town, displays regional produce as well as the work of local artists and craftsmen.
›› Musee Toulouse-Lautrec, Palais de la Berbie, Place St Cecile. At least twelve rooms have been set aside to display virtually every sketch and scribble the painter ever made.
Most fascinating are the posters advertising the Moulin Rouge and the Ambassadeurs, and the paintings of In the Salon of the Rue des Moulins, which depicts scenes of the women relaxing in the boudoir of a parisian brothel.