Hiking in the highlands of Bagard

During your walk you can observe the historical and natural heritage of Bagard.

HISTORICAL HERITAGE :
The Romanesque church of the XIIth century is undoubtedly the former chapel of the castle, but could be used as a defensive reduction. Built of stone cut from the local "blue" limestone, it is very sober in appearance. It was dedicated to St Saturnin. Partly ruined, it was repaired in 1686, but burned down in 1702 by the Camisards, its repair was rather clumsy. Some tombstones from the cemetery that surrounded it may have been used for its repair. Recently, the interior has been restored to its original purity.
One of the most unusual with its semicircular apse enclosed in a thick quadrangular mass like St Etienne des Aires and Notre Dame de Pallas.
It was a defense tower for the villagers at the junction of the old roads from Sauve to Alès and from Anduze to Alès.
On the outside, one can see the beginnings of a polychrome decoration with alternating dark gray and ochre bases at the top of the south wall of the second bay.

Billot Tower

The name of the tower comes from the consular family of Alès Bilhot, who owned it in the 14th century. It belonged to the heirs of Gervais Estienne, and to the lord of Périés, Françoise de Bilhot and Jacques de Bilhot. The widow of this last one, Eléonore d' Auriac gives to the convent of the preaching brothers of Alès, by act of 1519, her share of the farmhouse or Tower of Bilhot with the condition of not alienating anything of it and to celebrate a mass of requiem every Wednesday, in perpetuity.
The battle of the tower of Billot takes place during the war of the Cevennes. The Camisards of Cavalier were surprised and crushed by the royal troops at the castle of the Billot Tower.


NATURAL HERITAGE:
During your journey, you will meet many birds but the Huppe fasciée will not leave you indifferent. The Huppe can be recognized at first glance. This red colored bird, with black and white wings and tail, flies like a large butterfly. Its long thin beak measures about 6 cm.
Present on our territory from March until the end of the summer, this migratory bird is insectivorous and feeds on all kinds of invertebrates: larvae, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, worms, mollusks and even small lizards. It can also feed on processionary caterpillars, a real scourge for the Cévennes pines.

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