Old photos of
Montredon-Labessonié
(Tarn)

These photos taken between 1905 and 1940 as well as the accompanying text was kindly supplied by of Montredon-Labessonié.

If you have any old photos of your town or village,
please contact me, I would be delighted to include them here

 


The church around 1930
La Grand'Rue in 1906.
The "Cathedral of the Black Mountains", as it was called by a bishop of Albi, Monsigneur Célestin Cérézac. For a small village, the church was of impressive proportions, over 41 metres high, 11 metres large and 41 metres long. Construction started in September 1841.
The Montredon dam known as Bezan, just after its completion in 1937. The reservoir covers 15 sq kilometres and has a capacity of 70 000 cubic metres of water cubes. To this day it supplies the village with fresh water.

The chateau de Castelfranc

The chateau de Castelfranc, dates from the 19th century for most part, but its foundations go back to the time of Simon de Montfort. The site was pillaged between 1975-85 by different owners who did not appreciate quality of the construction or realise the uniquness of its architecture with Gothique style in the chapel, and orangerie troubadour style for the chateau itself.

The first swimming pool in Montredon-Labessonnié. The first bathers came out of the water stained orange by the water and with blood suckers hanging off their skin!

Today this pool of the 1930's has been replaced by three pools of different sizes with clear limpid water and no blood suckers !

ÓChantal Moret & Mike Briley 1999-2006