In the heart of the old town, the Notre-Dame collegiate church watches over Villefranche-de-Rouergue from its 58-meter height . A jewel of Aveyron's heritage , this grand Gothic church is emblematic of the town.
The collegiate church: a building with a tormented history
300 years , minimum! That's how long it took for this stone giant to reach its current height of 58 meters. However, the project of the consuls of Villefranche-de-Rouergue was far more ambitious: 88 meters. This height would have allowed the city to symbolically surpass the other great bell tower of the Aveyron region, that of Notre-Dame Cathedral, built by the Bishop of Rodez.
Begun a few years after the foundation of the bastide by the Count of Toulouse, Alphonse of Poitiers , and the seneschal Jean d'Arcis, in the middle of the 13th century, the construction was successively interrupted by disagreements with the episcopal authority of Rodez, by the Hundred Years' War, by epidemics, by disagreements between the consuls and by bad climatic conditions.
Visit Notre-Dame Collegiate Church
Classified as “Historic Monuments”, the Notre-Dame Collegiate Church can be visited freely every day of the year. It is included in the guided tour of the old center offered by the tourist office.
In July and August, take the time to climb the 163 steeple steps to reach the passageway overlooking the city. You will have a amazing views on the surrounding nature, the Dardenne house, the clock fountain and the colorful market stalls on Thursday morning, market day. Your cultural discovery will be accompanied by the sweet melodies of chime, one of the most beautiful in the south-west of France, with its 48 bells.
| Opening hours from January 01 to December 31, 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Monday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Tuesday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Wednesday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Thursday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Friday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Saturday | Open from 08:30 p.m to 18:XNUMX p.m |
| Sunday | Open from 12:18 am to XNUMX:XNUMX pm |
| Holidays | Closed |
Climb the collegiate bell tower
During the summer months, climb the 163 steps of the spiral staircase to the dynamic rhythm of its carillon and access a superb panorama over the roofs of the bastide of Villefranche de Rouergue.
An exceptional movable heritage
The jewel of the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame in Villefranche-de-Rouergue lies in its choir stalls , a rare find in the Occitanie region. Created in the second half of the 15th century, they were reserved for the town's civil and religious authorities, while the general population sat in the nave. Their flamboyant decorations conceal some truly intriguing misericords . Animals, fantastical creatures, popular expressions, and scenes of everyday life reflect an ideal of thought characteristic of the late Middle Ages.
The building also boasts two organs : the majestic gallery organ above the entrance and the choir organ in a side chapel. In the north transept, a marble medallion depicting the Visitation is attributed to the school of Pierre Puget, one of the most influential sculptors of Louis XIV's reign. The Virgin and Child, carved from wood and inlaid with silver, which once occupied the choir of the collegiate church, is also an exceptional work. Finally, the building houses a highly symbolic representation of Christ , the first glimpse of which may well surprise you.
A course in architecture(s)
Although the building seems at first glance quite homogeneous, it is actually made up of three distinct blocks. These architectural differences respond to the length of the site and to various construction times, where the wishes of the builders were not always the same.
The oldest part is the pentagonal chancel, with its large lancet windows rising to the vault. Two of the five stained-glass windows were donated by the King of France, Charles VII, in the mid- 15th century . Following the principles of Rayonnant Gothic, which originated in the Île-de-France region, this section contrasts with the nave, which is larger and more massive, in keeping with the darker, more defensive architecture of southern France.
The most recent addition is the porch, a characteristic example of Flamboyant Gothic architecture. Relatively simple, it contains a multitude of small sculptures . Monkeys, rabbits, and hedgehogs undulate on oak leaves adorned with acorns. The pointed arch of its portal echoes the candle and flame decorations found on the large bay window at the top.
