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RODEZ
 
Rodez, now préfecture for the Aveyron département of France, was once the capital of the Rouergue. The town has a population of about twenty-five thousand people and a long and fascinating history. The town is a natural fortress standing as it does atop a hill more than one hundred meters above the river Aveyron.
 
For many years Rodez was a divided town and it was not until King Henry Ⅳ that the town ceased the warring factions led by the bishops in the “Cité” and the counts of Rodez in the “Bourg”.
 
Rodez Cathedrale of Notre Dame
The Bell Tower of the Rodez cathedral of Notre Dame
Sign outside a Boulangerie in Rodez
When you arrive in Rodez the first site to greet you will almost certainly be the Notre Dame Cathedral. Imposingly set at the top of a wide avenue it is the landmark that draws many people to the town. The west front of the cathedral is unfinished and does not include the 87meter high bell tower which is in fact a separate building with 14th century foundations. The bell tower is the work of several centuries, at present a new generation is hard at work maintaining the fabric of this structure.
 
But Rodez has much to offer the visitor apart from just the cathedral. A short tour proposed by the tourist office has been encapsulated into some twenty-five pages on this website, the reference numbers used throughout the site are those to be found on the map issued by the tourist office, we strongly recommend that you visit the “Syndicat d’Initiative” and obtain your own free copy before commencing the tour, the quality of printed photos and maps is far greater than the medium of the Internet allows us to present here. The tour takes about two hours on foot, rather more than our version here on the ’net, but we think you’ll find it time well spent since Rodez has a fascinating past and a prosperous future, enjoy!
 
Statue in the public gardens in Rodez Tourist office in Rodez War memorial in the public gardens in Rodez

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