Local Area & History
Gargilesse
A haven and source of inspiration for the writer George Sand, the village of Gargilesse, with it's charming brown tiled roofed houses packed around the Chateau and the Roman Church, hides in the hollow of the river from which it takes it's name. George Sand was the first person to fall under the charm of the village as have many others ever since. A wealth of craftsmen, contemporary artists, and impressionist artists all came to the area, as she did, to take refuge, to work, and to be inspired.
Only a postern and two round towers remain of the medieval castle destroyed in 1650 during the Fronde (revolt of the aristocrats against Louis XIV).
Next to the castle stands the 12th Century sandstone church. The crypt is adorned with rare frescoes from the 12th and 16th Centuries. A result of the splendid isolation of the Berry and Limousine regions, Gargilesse is a village where time seems to have stopped, out of reach of history.