Village of Simorre

A charming village, with its fortified church, its old central market hall, its museum, its half-timbered and corbelled houses, its foirail and shady squares that invite you to visit. Simorre surprises and amazes.
The atmosphere of this small village is pleasant, as are the friendly musical nights in the square opposite the Bouche à Oreille.

A little history: The village's picturesque narrow streets are particularly striking for their impressive fortified church, which rises up between the roofs of the houses and gives the impression of taking a trip back to the heart of the Middle Ages. After a devastating fire in 1141, the village, formerly the capital of Astarac, was rebuilt around the abbey, and the whole complex was fortified in the 12th century. To resist the Count of Astarac, the abbots constantly improved their abbey, which was given a cloister, an octagonal bell tower and extended to the west.

The Abbey Church, an architectural jewel:
A masterpiece of brickwork lost in the Astarac of stone. Dedicated to Notre Dame, it was built on the site of the previous church, which may have extended further west, as work carried out in 1900 uncovered remains of the construction in the extension of the current nave.
Major restoration work was carried out between 1844 and 1858 under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc. The roof, which covered the walls, was lowered so that it rested directly on the vaults, and a crenellation was built around the building.

‘Simorre, a slow and committed commune! It belongs to the network of the national Cittaslow label’.