Places: Cucugnan, France
The scoop…
Le petit village de Cucugnan, France…
How to adequately describe this magic?
Cucugnan is nestled in the Corbiéres Massif in a valley surrounded by beautiful vineyards and dramatic Cathar strongholds above. It is a tiny village in southwest France that lies near the Spanish border and is as far away from la Côte d’Azur as you can go and still be in southern France. Here there is no glitz, no flash, no glitter…just magic.
The French historian Renè Quehen established that Cucugnan was first documented in the year 951. In 1495 the village was destroyed by Spanish invaders. Many years later a new village was erected around the medieval ruins and is essentially the Cucugnan of today. It is 350 meters above sea level but 400 meters below the towering and historic ruin of Chateau de Queribus. You can hike or easily drive right from the village to the high and isolated castle ruins. It is said that Queribus was one of the last mountain strongholds of the Cathar religious sect in the 12th century. The castle ruins now stand abandoned in concert with the clouds, wind and birds of prey. On any given clear day from Queribus you can see all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, to the peaks of the snow covered Pyrenees and to Cucugnan below.Walking up through the castle ruins you become bewitched by its past.
The little village of Cucugnan has ~130 year round residents, it is bathed in history, surrounded by vineyards and marked by the great hills and mountains towering above in the heart of Cathar country. Over the years, due to its location in the mountains, it has evolved to become a popular seasonal destination for active sportive types, and lovers of nature, wine and of course history.
When visiting Cucugnan a good first stop is to the Moulin d’Omer, a17th century windmill originally used to grind grain into flour. It sits atop a small hill in the village, right above the church and looks out into the majestic valley, hills and vineyards below. Beneath the windmill you will find the understated, but spectacular bakery, Les Maitres De Mon Moulin, where you must visit to sample the artisanal goods birthed from ancient grains and traditional bread baking techniques by the celebrated baker, M. Roland Feuillas. He has dedicated himself to reviving ancient wheat grains and baking bread using slow fermentation which preserve the quality of the grains. You will be forever changed after tasting his beautiful organic creations made from these ancient grains. I believe that after this one visit to Les Maîtres de Mon Moulin with you will return to Cucugnan again and again to feed your new found addiction for Roland’s exquisite, organic and delicious baked goods. Just click to see a video (in French) of the ultimate Master Baker and genius grain connoisseur, M. Roland Feuillas.
From the bakery you can walk down the cobbled street to visit the tiny neo-gothic 14th century church of Eglise Saint-Julien-et-Sainte-Basilisse which is dedicated to Sainte Agathe, the patron saint of the village. It is well worth a visit as it is beautiful in its stark simplicity and hosts the unusual wooden statue of the pregnant Virgin Mary.
For wine lovers a stop at the two main local vineyards is worth the trip. The Chateau Trillol is located in the valley at the foot of the Village and the Domaine du Grand Arc lies just over the ridge to the north of the village. Both focus on terroir driven wines that reflect the unique topography of this region. Perhaps like me you will easily fall in love with these stunning vineyards and their wines. Then there is also the tiny Domain of Joël Gauch who produces 2 reds under the label of Lydie Gauch Joël. He is a small producer who does it all, from the vine to the bottle, producing ~ 2000 bottles a year. Joël and his wife own the charming Écurie de Cucugnan where you can buy his wine directly from him or in the local Épicerie.
Then for those of you who may be thinking about French language opportunities in this idyllic environment there is a little known gem for French language study at Cours-a-Cucugnan with the extraordinary teacher and woman, Mme Claire Campbell. I first met Claire many years ago when I came to her in my desperation to communicate and be understood in French. She has become a cherished life long friend and continues to be my French language tutor today.
I cannot complete my telling of Cucugnan without sharing the famous tale of Le Curé de Cucugnan in which the parish priest shares a dream with his congregation who have lost their faith. He tells them that he had a dream and in this dream he went to heaven and then to purgatory looking for, but not finding, any of the past dead villagers of Cucugnan as they were all in Hell! His goal was to frighten and bring them back into the flock after offering confession. Originally, Le Curé de Cucugnan was a sermon given by Auguste Blanchot de Brenas in 1858, consequently made into a short story by Alphonse Daudet published in 1866 in "Les Lettres de mon moulin". You can see a wonderful amimation of this story at Le Théatre Achille Mir in Cucugnan on any given afternoon.
Take time to walk/hike/drive through the surrounding vineyards and in the hills and mountains above. Go to immerse yourself in the stark beauty of this tiny French village and the region it occupies. It is dripping with unadorned beauty.
Go and experience the magic, a gift to give yourself.
