History of La Bastide-Puylaurent
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History of La Bastide-Puylaurent |
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La Bastide-Puylaurent, a name that evokes both the softness and the harshness of the mountain, the charm and history of a village. A village that has not always borne this name, nor occupied the same location.
During the Revolution, it was Puylaurent that was the capital of the commune, a hamlet perched on the heights, overlooking the Allier valley. But in 1917, the fate of the village changed when the President of the Republic signed a decree transferring the town hall to the hamlet of La Bastide, located lower down, on the edge of the river. This marked the beginning of a new era for the commune, which then took its current name.
But to understand the history of La Bastide-Puylaurent, we need to go even further back, to the beginning of the 16th century, when La Bastide was just a modest village of seven or so houses, built on the right bank of the Allier. On the other side of the bridge, on the left bank, lay Gevaudan, a wild and mysterious land, where the Bastide family lived, owning a farm called Trouillas. Some said it was they who gave their name to the village, but no one was sure.
Further beyond the Rieufret stream lay Vivarais, a more cheerful and fertile region, where beautiful homes stood, like those of the Barrial, the Valentins, the Bresson, the Astruc, the Rieu, the Hebrard, and the Chambonnet families. These were the oldest and most respected families in the village, who shared the lands and herds for generations. That is how the village appeared in the records of 1609, which contained the rights and duties of the inhabitants towards their lords. And it remained almost unchanged, except for a few new constructions, until the cadastral plan of 1810, which set the boundaries and names of the plots.
But La Bastide was not isolated from the world. It was crossed by an ancient Roman road, the Regordane, which linked Saint-Gilles in the Gard to Le Puy-en-Velay in Haute-Loire. It was a road frequented by pilgrims, merchants, and transhumants, who stopped at the inns of La Bastide to rest and eat. La Bastide then depended on the parish of Chasserades, where the church and cemetery were located.
Around La Bastide, there were also other hamlets and farms scattered in the valleys of the Allier and Rieufret. There were Les Huttes, where the Barrel and Ranc families lived, La Courege, Les Bories, Compan, and La Felgere, which were "notable houses", and Malataverne, a hamlet of two houses, now disappeared. All these places had their history, their secrets, their legends.
And then there was Saint-Thomas de la Souche, a priory founded by the monks of Tornac, near Anduze, who had large herds that moved to Gevaudan in summer. It was a place of prayer and rest, near a spring flowing by the Regordane. But there is nothing left of this priory, except a rustic cross, facing the current cemetery.
In 1728, Abbe Robert, the priest of Puylaurent, went to the ruins of an ancient chapel and hospital, founded in the Middle Ages by monks of the order of Tornac. He discovered traces of a forgotten past, where religious men welcomed and cared for travelers, shepherds, mule drivers, and transhumants traveling the steep paths of the region. He also saw the remains of a cemetery, where the deceased who had found an ultimate refuge there rested. He carefully noted the dimensions of the buildings and the land, as well as the monks' income, derived from donations, tithes, and surrounding lands.
The chapel and hospital were inseparable, one justifying the other. Notarial acts testified to their dual vocation, both spiritual and temporal. Sometimes only the chapel was mentioned, sometimes both, sometimes the priory and hospital. But what did this word "hospital" mean? One could translate it as a shelter, lodging, inn, but that would reduce the scope of the monks' work. Indeed, the prior of the chapel and hospital was always the infirmary officer of the Tornac monastery. This implied that there was an organized provision of care, even if these were basic or temporary. The hospital still existed in 1636, and the infirmary officer of Tornac was its official head.
More than a hundred and fifty years later, La Bastide-Puylaurent was the scene of a dramatic episode of the French Revolution: the conspiracy of the Count of Saillans. This nobleman from Dauphine had conceived an audacious plan to overthrow the republican regime and restore the monarchy. He wanted to raise all of southern France, from the Pyrenees to the Rhône, and form a vast army that would march north, supported by the Spaniards and emigrants. He thus hoped to join the royalist forces of Vendee, Brittany, and the Rhine.
On May 19, 1792, he went to La Bastide, to Pierre Combe's inn, where he met members of the royalist committee of Jales. Among them was Abbe Claude Allier, prior of Chambonas, and Joseph-Marie Chabalier, a resident of Puylaurent. They gave him their support and adherence to his project.
In early June, the revolt broke out. The royalists attacked the castle of Bannes, where a republican garrison was stationed, and massacred some national guards in the village of Berrias. But these acts of violence only attracted the attention of the authorities, who sent troops to suppress the insurrection. The royalists were repelled from several towns and villages, and soon divided by internal dissensions. Abbe Allier and the Count of Saillans quarreled violently, accusing each other of treason.
On July 8, the republicans forced the surrender of the castle of Bannes after several days of siege. On July 12, they won the decisive battle of Jales, where the Count of Saillans was killed. The conspiracy was over, along with the hope of the royalists of La Bastide-Puylaurent.
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In 1940, while the war raged in Europe, the Polish Red Cross created a reception center for Polish refugees in La Bastide-Puylaurent, a small village in Lozere located between the sources of the Allier and the Chassezac river. The center was set up in two hotels, Terminus and Les Pins, which offered refuge and comfort to exiles fleeing the Nazi and Soviet occupation of their country.
The center hosted men, women, and children of all ages and backgrounds. Some were wounded or demobilized soldiers, others were civilians persecuted or deported. All had known fear, hunger, suffering, and separation. At the center, they found a bit of human warmth, solidarity, and hope. They received medical care, food, clothing, and education. They also took part in cultural, sports, and religious activities. They formed a united community, proud of its roots.
The center was directed by Zbiggniev Malinowski, a former officer of the Polish army, who devoted himself entirely to the cause of his compatriots. He was helped by French and Polish volunteers who showed courage and generosity. The center was supported by local authorities, who respected and protected the refugees. The center was also in contact with the Polish resistance, which fought against the invader.
But the center was not free from danger. In 1942, the Vichy police issued an arrest warrant against Malinowski, accusing him of being a "dangerous terrorist." The center's director managed to escape the hunt but had to go into hiding and change locations often. In 1944, German troops invaded the free zone and occupied La Bastide-Puylaurent. They arrested 25 Polish refugees, whom they considered enemies and undesirables. They were forcibly sent to Paris, then to Königsberg, in East Prussia, where they were exploited as slaves.
The Polish reception center at La Bastide-Puylaurent is a poignant testimony to the history of World War II, but also to the brotherhood between peoples. It illustrates the tragic and heroic destiny of the Poles, who fought for their freedom and dignity.
Former resort hotel with a garden on the banks of the Allier, L'Étoile Guesthouse is located in La Bastide-Puylaurent, nestled between Lozère, Ardèche, and the Cevennes in the mountains of Southern France. Positioned at the crossroads of GR®7, GR®70 Chemin Stevenson, GR®72, GR®700 Voie Regordane (Saint Gilles), GR®470 Sources and Gorges of the Allier, GRP® Cevenol, Montagne Ardechoise, and Margeride. It offers numerous loop routes for hiking and day-long cycling excursions. Ideal for a relaxing stay.
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