Le Roc d'Anglars et Le Lourdou
A unique fifth-century vestige in the heart of the Rignacois countryside.
Just 900 meters upstream from the village of Belcastel, perched above the Lourdou cave, lie the remarkable remains of an ancient fort probably dating from the 5th century. This little-known historic site is one of the few examples of fortifications from this period still visible in the region.
Set 50 meters above the Aveyron river, this defensive system, some 20 meters in diameter, was composed of several compartments, platforms and ditches, forming a veritable rampart against invasion. It guarded and protected the valley long before the construction of the famous Belcastel fortress, which it later served as an outpost.
The Lourdou sanctuary is a grotto with an altar. A statue of Notre-Dame de Lourdes dominates the religious site, hence the name "petit Lourdes" (Lourdou in Occitan).
