Journées Européennes du Patrimoine: Visite commentée du Village de Duravel

A village sheltered from the cold winds by wooded hills, situated on the borders of the Quercy, Agenais and Périgord regions. An ancient Gallo-Roman town, Duravel, then called Diolindum, was founded by the Romans as a military station on the great strategic route from Bordeaux to Lyon. (Unfortunately, the remains of this era were lost during the Wars of Religion in 1596) In the 11th century, Duravel had a priory belonging to the Abbey of Moissac, founded by Clovis and restored by Charlemagne. The bodies of three saints from Palestine and Egypt, Hilarion, Agathon and Poemon, were brought here. Since the 12th century, they have been the object of pilgrimages and, every five years, of an ostension festival. 1369, "100 Years' War", Duravel is attacked by the English under Robert Knolles. With a population of 6,000, the town held out for six weeks, routing the attackers. In gratitude, the king granted the town a coat of arms: Gules, a closed crown Or, on a chief Azure, three fleurs-de-lis Or. [Source: French Ministry of Culture]