VILLAGE DE LA ROMIEU

At the end of the 11th century AD, the German monk Albert, on his way back from a pilgrimage to Rome to Santiago de Compostela, settled in this region. On the land of the lords of Firmacon, Viscounts of Lomagne, he founded a priory attached to the abbey of Saint Victor of Marseille. This priory was to be the basis of the village, built as a safeguard. "Roumiou" means "pilgrim" in Gascon In the 14th century, the village grew in importance. Arnaud d'Aux, a dignitary of the pontifical court in Avignon, fixed the family tomb in his native land, by having the collegiate complex of Saint Pierre built. The village of La Romieu, in the shape of an irregular pentagon, was equipped with crenellated walls, ditches and drawbridges, gates and towers... All this did not prevent the Protestant garrison of Mongommery from entering the village in 1569 and destroying most of the houses and archives by fire. The parish church, on the present square, was destroyed after the French Revolution. The north gate still remains in its original state. It is surmounted by a square tower with machicolations and loopholes in the corners. The central square and the arcades, which house the shops, have just been renovated. The wash-house and the gothic fountain let the water of the small Auvignon flow, and invite you to calm and serenity. And today.. In addition to being classified as a Historic Monument, the collegiate complex has been classified as a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2 December 1998. La Romieu, a small village of 550 inhabitants, is still dynamic with shops, schools, activities and associations.... At the crossroads of the paths of Saint Jacques de Compostelle coming from Puy en Velay and Rocamadour, in the middle of the valleys, La Romieu is happy that you are curious to discover this place and its famous legend of cats.