Pictures Cahors France, April 2013

  Medieval Section

Restaurant and garden

Model of St. Etienne

          Church humor

                   Close up

               Angry man

                Cloister

Garden in Cloister

    Cloister doorway

        Valentre Bridge

            Bridge Tower

View from other side

                  Cot vines

Cahors France April 2013

Malbec World Day this year was on April 17th. It just so happened to be the day I went to visit Cahors France. Cahors on the isthmus of the Lot River is the capitol of the Lot department in Southwestern France. Today it is best known for the grapes grown in the region: the Cot, more commonly known as Malbec. Today there are 4200 hectares in the AOC of Cahors. The history of wine in this region dates back to 50 BC following the Roman conquest of the Celts. Wine lovers that the Romans were, they planted the area with vineyards. In Medieval times the wine of this region became known as the Black Wine of Lot. Pope John XXII was born in Cahors in 1249 and while he was Pope, he made Cahors wine the official table and sacramental wine of the Roman Catholic Church. The popes of his time did not live in Rome, rather Avignon. The “Avignon Popes” were known as great lovers of wine, John XXII did much to advance the viticulture of the area and the wines of the region became known as “Vin du Pape” which later became known as Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Pope John XXII built the famous chateau that is the symbol for the wines of this AOC: Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

Emperor Peter I of Russia drank Cahors wine as well, and it became the sacramental wine of the Russian Orthodox Church. Other famous drinkers of this wine were Henry I of England; his wife was Eleanor of Aquitaine who brought this wine with her for their wedding. Black wine from Lot became a rival to the wines of Bordeaux at the English courts. In 1853 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento of Argentina was determined to improve the wine regions of his country. He hired Michel Aime Pouget a French soil specialist to make enhancements to the vineyards of Argentina. Pouget brings several types of vines from France, one being the Cot of Cahors. This vine does well and is now the dominant varietal in Argentina.  

The Cot of Cahors does not fare as well in France: in 1883-1885 the Great French Wine Blight hits the region, and all of the vineyards were replanted. More recently, heavy frosts occurred in 1956 and the region had to be replanted en mass. In 1971 the region achieves the distinction of and AOC. The wines produced from Cahors are generally 100% Cot, and cannot go below 70% Cot. The other 30% is a blend of Merlot and Tannat.

Cahors was a prominent city in the Middle Ages. It was known for the fact that bankers charged interest on loans, which was considered the sin of usury by the Roman Catholic Church. Because of this, Cahors is immortalized in Dante’s Inferno as a wicked place. Today, it is primarily a tourist destination as it has a well preserved medieval section, including the Cathedral of St. Etienne and a beautiful ancient bridge the Valentre.

Cathedral of St. Etienne was built as a fortress by the bishop in the end of the 11th century. The door on the north door was carved in about 1135 and depicts the Ascension of Christ. Another small panel on the door shows the stoning of Saint Etienne in remarkable detail. The cathedral is unique in its double domed architecture and it also has a beautiful cloister dating back to 1509.

The Valentre Bridge was begun in 1308 and completed in 1378. The architect of the bridge was upset with the slow progress on the bridge. Legend has it that he made a pact with the devil to speed up the work. As the bridge rapidly approached completion, the architect found a way to get out of the agreement; he gave the devil a sieve and commanded he bring water to the workers. The devil realized he’d been bested, so every night he took out the top stone of the central tower. In 1879 during bridge renovation, the architect added a small carved statue of the devil clinging to the top of the tower as a permanent memory of the legend.

One cannot drink the wine of the region without considering the food. The regional cuisine is noted for its many duck dishes, truffles, foie gras and saffron. In addition, fruits and nuts are abundantly grown including peaches, plums, strawberries, melons and grapes. Chestnuts and walnuts are plentiful, appearing in cakes, pastries, salads and many other dishes. The food is simple, traditional and wonderful to enjoy with a glass of wine. I think it’s time for lunch!

Rocamadour, France Photos April 2013

Rocamadour at sunrise

Balloons taking off from the valley

Balloon at the ramparts

                Grand Staircase

Our Lady of Rocamadour

            The Dance of Death

Looking for Roland's sword

     Stations of the Cross

         Cross of Jerusalem

Rocamadour from valley

Rocamadour, France April 2013

Easter came early this year and it was still raining and cold in Toulouse. With a three day weekend and a grim forecast, we looked for an area with reasonable weather and something to see. The tour booklet “Grand Sites of the Midee Pyrenees” list Rocamadour as a must see, so off we went Michelin Green Guide in hand. The legends of Rocamadour described in our Green Guide are as interesting as the pictures and it might just be the perfect location for Easter.

Remember Zacheus the tax collector of Jericho who climbed the tree to see Jesus? His wife was St. Veronica who wiped the face of Jesus with her veil. Together they were forced to escape Palestine not long after the crucifixion of Jesus. The story in the Green Guide relates a tale of a rickety boat on the Lot River guided by an angel bringing them to the area not far from Rocamadour. They supposedly lived out their lives in this region converting the locals to Christianity. Later in the history of Rocamadour, the story continues that St. Amadour wanted to be buried under the existing church in Rocamadour. While digging the grave for St. Amadour, another ancient corpse is uncovered. This body is thought to be Zacheus’. The relics of St. Amadour are still underneath the churches in a subterranean chapel. 

St. Amadour is credited with carving the famed statute of Our Lady of Rocamadour. This walnut wooden statue is one of 180 Black Madonna’s in France. In 1172, writings describing the Miracles of Our Lady of Rocamadour were widely distributed. Thousands upon thousands of pilgrims came here, some on their way to Santiago de Compostela and others for the miracles of Rocamadour. One particularly special pilgrim was Roland, one of Charlemagne’s Twelve Peers and possibly his best warrior. The Song of Roland commemorates his mighty deeds and a pilgrimage to Rocamadour. Roland’s sword was called the Durandal, the sharpest sword in existence. The hilt of the Durandal contained the tooth of Saint Peter, the blood of Saint Basil and the hair of Saint Denis. Before Roland was killed, he attempted to break his sword so no one else could use it. The sword would not break, so Roland threw it to the Archangel Michael and it is allegedly embedded in the cliff wall at Rocamadour, far from his enemies.

Other pilgrims were not as famous as Roland. Some pilgrims were sent to Rocamadour as punishment, especially the Albigensians. As part of their punishment, they had to wear special clothes covered with crosses and a very wide hat on their long walk to Rocamadour. Upon reaching the Great Staircase with 223 steps, the penitent would strip to his undershirt. Chains would be fastened to his arms and neck. The penitent would then crawl on his knees to the top, once at the top, he would be brought before the statue of Our Lady of Rocamadour where a priest would pray to absolve his sins and finally remove the chains. The penitent would receive a special medal proving this journey.

Other sites on this terrace level are the Basicila of St. Sauveur, St. Amadour’s crypt, and the Chapel of Notre-Dame. On the chapel of Notre-Dame of Rocamadour is a 9th century miraculous bell, which rings of its own accord to foretell of a miracle. Thirteenth century frescos painted on the outer wall of the chapel picture the dance of death. Continuing up the hill are the Stations of the Cross and at top of the hill is a Cross of Jerusalem which was brought from the Holy Land by pilgrims. The ramparts on top of the hill were built in the 14th century to protect the city.

After all this heavy history, it is time for some local specialties. The area is famous for truffles, walnuts, wine, strawberries and foies gras. Rocamadour is famous for a special small cheese. It is called Rocamadour, and it is a goat’s milk cheese of the Cabecores variety. The cheese has a soft rind and is usually eaten within 12-15 days. If it is aged longer a blue mold grows on its rind and the flavor becomes much stronger. I had my mold free cheese on a pizza with honey and smoked duck breast. This type of pizza holds up well to a local Cahors wine. Bon Appetite!