Fons – Medieval Traces and Paths

In Fons, medieval architectural history, churches and paths meet a landscape shaped by the Causses. You can plan your trip around different interests: a walk through the village, a closer look at historic architectural styles, longer hiking routes or a pre-arranged visit to Les Alpacas de Fons. Which of these you include depends on whether you would rather focus on local history, the landscape, or alpacas and wool.

Walks and Paths in Fons

The “Balade médiévale à Fons-en-Quercy” walk is about 1.7 kilometres long, takes about an hour and has 36 metres of elevation gain. These details give you three concrete points of reference for planning: the distance, the approximate time required and the elevation change. Fons also has six local hiking routes. Their stated durations range from 20 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes. Compare the times as you consider how much of your stay to set aside for the routes. Check trail conditions before your trip.

Another option is Le Balat, the chemin de ronde along the former town wall. The fortification walls and ditches are no longer there; you can look for surviving sections of wall along the former route. A Stations of the Cross leads to the Calvaire. The walking route, the footpath and the Stations of the Cross thus offer different ways to explore Fons’ history and surroundings.

Architecture and Local History

The Maison des Consuls is a partly restored 13th-century building. Five large pointed-arch openings define its architecture. The Judicature royale has a balcony on the first floor, from which judgments were once publicly announced. This former use makes the balcony a tangible reminder of the judicial practices of the time.

The churches also point to different periods in the village’s history. Saint-André Church is recorded as a possession of the Abbey of Figeac in 1146. Its apse has a calotte vault and three windows, and bears witness to an early Romanesque building. Notre-Dame-des-Artels was probably rebuilt around 1760 on the site of the earlier church. The village itself provides an older historical setting: Fons was established and developed around a Benedictine monastery founded in 972, which no longer exists today.

The Landscape of the Causses

The Causses around Fons are characterised by caselles and dry-stone walls. The greenery of the chestnut groves along the Bonhomme stream is reminiscent of the neighbouring Ségala lotois. You can also explore this landscape on the “Villages et coteaux du Limargue” circuit, which passes through a green valley and traditional hamlets and is suitable for mountain bikes. As suitability for mountain bikes may vary depending on conditions, check before your ride.

Alpaca Activities by Appointment

Les Alpacas de Fons offers activities by appointment only. During visits lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, you feed alpacas, compare sheep’s and alpaca wool, and learn basic wool-processing techniques. Walks along Fons’ country paths last 2 to 2.5 hours; afterwards, you can feed the alpacas and compare the two types of wool. In a workshop, participants feed alpacas and use selected wool colours to make a felted soap. The activities therefore differ both in duration and in whether you want to focus on a walk, wool processing or making the soap.

Discover more destinations: Camboulit, Labastide-Du-Vert, Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie, Montclera, Gorses, Gignac, Sauzet, Calvignac.

For the overview of destinations in the wider area: Lot.