Chapelle de Villelongue - Musée de la Résistance
From the Middle Ages to the 20th century, there is only one step: it is in the Romanesque chapel of the fortified site of Villelongue that a museum of the Resistance has been created.
Let yourself parachute 80 years back in time!
Created to keep history alive, the site is dedicated to the Maquis Antoine, who operated in the area and found refuge there during the Occupation, to the Vény group and to the Resistance in the Ségala Tarn-Aveyron region. Indeed, the former hamlet of Villelongue was ideally located for access to the nearby Lucante parachute drop zone.
This chapel-museum features explanatory panels enriched with archive documents, weapons and military artefacts, all under the protective umbrella of a deployed parachute.
A little history
In May 1944, during the Second World War, the commune of Cabanès became home to the Maquis Antoine, which set up in the Lézert valley to operate in the Ségala region between Tarn and Aveyron.
Why this name? It was in April 1944 that Antoine Pech, a butcher from Carmaus, was appointed leader of the Villelongue maquis, which took his name.
Want to know more? Click here for a little reading, and come and visit the chapel, which is open by volunteers on Sunday afternoons from early July to mid-September.
Group visits can also be arranged by appointment throughout the year.
An important anecdote!
On July 22, 1944, an illustrious visitor in the person of Colonel Berger (alias André Malraux). The FFI Inspector General met Veny maquis leaders here for lunch, before setting off again at around 3pm in a traction vehicle that was ambushed in Gramat. Arrested by the Gestapo, he was interrogated and incarcerated in Toulouse's Saint Michel prison.
Our tips
To enjoy the unique atmosphere of this year-round destination, we recommend taking a picnic break next to the ruins of the medieval castle overlooking the valley.
Continue on the car circuit that passes at the foot of the site: Les panoramas du Ségala!
