Pleaux

Pleaux

Description

Ranked among the Small Towns full of Character since 2017, Pleaux includes lots of buildings underlining its glorious past.

Designated a “Petite Cité de Caractère,” the town of Pleaux offers visitors a history rich in events, illustrated by a remarkable and highly diverse architectural heritage.

In the very early days of Christianity in Haute-Auvergne (6th–7th centuries), the original settlement developed around the baptismal church of Saint-Jean, which no longer exists. In the 9th century, five monks and their prior from the Benedictine Abbey of Charroux settled there and helped build the current Church of Saint-Sauveur (now the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste) and a monastic complex. In 1289, Philip IV the Fair put an end to the incessant disputes between the town’s lords and the prior by establishing a charter of arbitration with the abbot of Charroux. Pleaux then became a bastide named “Villefranche de Pleaux,” featuring its original enclosed area and a new town consisting of a public square surrounded by houses, complete with a market hall and weigh station. Pleaux subsequently experienced turbulent times during the Hundred Years’ War and the Wars of Religion.
As an important cultural center, Pleaux also saw the establishment in 1630 of a convent of the Carmelite Order, which was converted in 1806 into a minor seminary; this institution educated a portion of the Cantal elite until its closure in 1906.

Five tower houses still illustrate the town’s remarkable and iconic character today. Just outside the town, a hedgerow landscape characteristic of the Pays de la Xaintrie is home to numerous residences, mansions, and country estates, as well as stately farmhouses built of basalt and granite with roofs of slate or lauze. In this prosperous region, the surrounding villages and hamlets reveal a small yet elegant and charming heritage: chapels, ovens, mills, dovecotes, crosses....

Active local organizations host a variety of events. Pleaux, which also holds the “Station Verte” designation, introduces visitors to the cultural, sporting, festive, and culinary traditions of this region nestled between the Dordogne Valley and the Pays de Salers...

Guided tours of Pleaux are available for groups through the ARTEMIS association, led by Aurélie AUBIGNAC.

THE ARCHISTOIRE APP
Dive into the heart of Pleaux’s history and architecture with Archistoire. An intuitive app: every point, every figure, and every element highlighted or marked in red is accompanied by historical and architectural explanations....You can listen to the sounds that filled the air during the old fairs or hear Jean Bona play another tune on his cabrette....

Information

Pets accepted

Pets accepted : Yes

Amenities

Restaurant, Car park, Public WC, Bar, Defibrillator, Camper van reception area, Camper van service area, Picnic area, Play area, Exhibition space, Book shop, Media library