Quezac is a small, traditional village in the Lozère department of Occitanie, in the south of France.
Explore Quezac
France This Way review: although Quezac is a small village, it is a pretty village and has a very lovely bridge, so we recommend you visit if you are in the region
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The village has its origins in the 12th century, when a statue of the Virgin Mary was discovered here by a farmer working in the fields, and a religious settlement formed in the Collegiale church of Quezac.and for more than two centuries Quezac could only be reached by boat, which was very dangerous at times of flooding.
The story is less implausible than you might think - pirate attacks in the middle ages sometimes led to communities hiding important religious artefacts, and it seems possible this happened at Quezac.
In the 14th century, the Popes were based in Avignon, in France, and in 1370 it was Pope Urbain V, originally from this region, who demanded that a bridge was built, to make it safer for pilgrims to visit the village. The bridge was then complete under Pope Benoit XIII (overall the building work took from 1395 until 1450).
This stone bridge has six large arches and is a 113 metres long, and remarkably for such a small village, the bridge at Quezac is one of the most impressive bridges in France from this period.
You need to cross the bridge to reach the village, which is a bit scary as it is narrow and because it is a humpback bridge you can't see if anything is approaching from the other direction!
A chapel was built next to the bridge in the 18th century, but only a small remnant remains of this chapel.
The centre of the village is really just one straight road so you can't go wrong as you explore...
The principal historic monument in the centre of Quezac is the church. Nothing remains of the original church, built here in the 11th century to hold the statue of the Virgin, and the current church has its origins in 1365, when Pope Urbain V also demanded that a church be built here to protect the statue.
The church was damaged during the Wars of Religion, and the statue was lost at this time. The church was then repaired, then damaged again during the revolution, and restored again in the 19th century. The church has retained part of its original structure - the most interesting feature is the entrance through a gothic stye red arch, built of red stone.
The statue you see in the altar of the church dates from the 17th century, added to replace the original statue.
The remainder of the centre of Quezac is a single road with traditional cottages (and one quite imposing house) on either side.
One interesting feature you will see in this part of the village is a 17th century 'ice house', a stone hole and structure that was used to keep things cold during the summer.
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Attractions nearby
Just two kilometres from Quezac you can visit the village of Ispagnac, another attractive village dating from medieval times.
You can find more travel ideas in the Lozere guide and the Languedoc-roussillon guide.
To make travel arrangements to visit Quezac see HERE
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Photos of Quezac
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See complete Quezac Photo Gallery
Map of Quezac and places nearby
Places to visit near Quezac
Cevennes National Park
The varied landscapes of the Cevennes National Park are famous as the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Travels with a Donkey'!
Cevennes National Park guide
Montbrun
The small but very pretty village of Montbrun is at the eastern end of the Gorges du Tarn
Montbrun guide
Castelbouc
The tiny village of Castelbouc, in the Gorges du Tarn, is very lovely and in an exceptional riverside location
Castelbouc guide
Florac
Both the surrounding scenery and the town centre of Florac make it a very enjoyable destination
Florac guide
Sainte-Enimie
Sainte-Enimie is the most extensive, and perhaps the most interesting, of the pretty villages along the Gorges du Tarn
Sainte-Enimie guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Lozere
Address: Quézac, Sainte-Enimie, Florac, Languedoc-roussillon, 48320, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 44.370760886574, longitude 3.5238809640538
Plan your visit to Quezac, Lozere
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Sainte-Enimie: most beautiful village (9 km)
- Gorges du Tarn: grand site of france (9 km)
- Mont Lozère: site of natural beauty (18 km)
- Chaos de Nimes-le-Vieux: site of natural beauty (19 km)
- Aven Armand (grotte): site of natural beauty (21 km)
- La Canourgue: village d'etape (26 km)
- Marvejols: recommended detour (28 km)
- Abîme de Bramabiau: site of natural beauty (28 km)
- Mont Aigoual: site of natural beauty (28 km)
- Parc à loups du Gévaudan (wolves): zoo or wildlife park (28 km)
- Maison des vautours (vultures): zoo or wildlife park (29 km)
- Jardin du Tomple: remarkable garden (33 km)
The French version of this page is at Quezac (Francais)