La Cavalerie, commune in Aveyron, France
La Cavalerie is a small village on the Larzac plateau in Aveyron, surrounded by a 15th-century stone wall that once protected it from attack. Inside, narrow paved streets wind past medieval and Renaissance houses with slate roofs, leading to the church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption in the center, which was rebuilt in the 18th century and contains remains from an older Templar sanctuary.
The village was founded by the Templars in the 12th century and served as both a settlement and military stronghold for religious and military activities in the region. When the Templar Order was dissolved, the Hospitallers took control and reinforced the fortifications to protect the town, especially during the Wars of Religion in the late 16th century when Protestant forces briefly occupied and damaged it.
The town still bears the marks of the Templars and Hospitallers who shaped its religious and military identity. Walking through the narrow lanes and past the houses, visitors can see how these orders influenced daily life and the way the settlement developed around their presence.
The village is easily accessible and offers several ways to explore: walk through the narrow streets at ground level, follow the rampart paths for views over the surrounding countryside, or use the marked trails like GR 71C and 71D that connect to nearby historical sites. You can visit year-round, though spring and autumn offer more pleasant temperatures and fewer crowds.
The village holds a rare collection of Crusade-era coins made from gold, silver, and copper that document trade routes between Christian and Islamic territories from the 12th to 14th centuries. These coins from places like Tripoli, Jerusalem, and Antioch reveal how the village was linked to wider networks of exchange across the medieval Mediterranean world.
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