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CAMON

Camon, an abbey, rose bushes and stone huts.

Nestled in the heart of the hills in the Olmes area, in the Ariège department, Camon is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France. It is 48 Km east of Foix, and offers a national heritage that is at once unique and unusual.

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CAMON - Ariège (09)

Living in the tutelary shadow of its Abbey, founded in the 10th century, Camon once surrounded itself with fortifications which give it its character today.

The Porte de l'Horloge, or Clock Gate, leads to the village streets and convent buildings, restored in the 16th century by Philippe de Lévis, Bishop of Mirepoix and Prior of Camon. The ancient abbey church can still be seen, with its treasures, the ruins of the old cloisters, the chapel decorated with 14th century frescoes, etc.

Camon is also worth seeing for its dry stone huts, over a hundred of them, scattered among the hills.

Vineyard huts, tool sheds or temporary shelters, these sandstone edifices were built by the peasants and wine growers, who were obliged to pay their contribution to the powerful abbey of Camon. The Tourist Bureau organises guided walks to show off this heritage recounting 1000 years of history.

Another surprising aspect of Camon: its love of roses, which has earned it the nickname of «the village of a hundred rose bushes». This passion dates back to the time when the surrounding hillsides were covered with vines. At the end of each row, a rose bush was placed as a gauge of health, as roses react to diseases of the vine before the vines themselves are affected.

There are no more vines now, but Camon continues to celebrate its favourite flowers. Don't miss the Rose Festival (mid-May), with its poetry, its imagination and its delicious scents.

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