Yesterday morning, we went to La Romieu’s Monday market. We bought honey, confiture, fresh tomatoes and melon, and cheeses. After the market, we drove through the countryside, to a tiny village of 30-40 people, Castelnau-sur-l’Auvignon. We went to see its church, Eglise Saint Marie des Loubieres. We parked at the opposite end of the village from the church and walked. There’s were plaques with photos along the street, with photos of the village before 1943 and after the Germans bombed the medieval castle and the village and set it on fire. Today, there is little left of pre-1943, except part of the castle tower, the church, and stones that were used to build new houses and repair what was left of a few others.
During WWII, the British Special Operations Executive had his headquarters in the village during the spring of 1943. The Resistance of Spain and France came to Castelnau, and in June 1944, the German army arrived to destroy the village. There is a memorial next to the church for those that lost their lives. We learned much more than we expected when we set off to see the church! France surprises us every day with its history, and the beautiful flowers everywhere!
