Somewhere in the green expanses of the Périgord, not far from the town of Brantôme and the beautiful limestone caves of Villars, hides a small, charming village that earned, quite deservedly, the title of “one of the most beautiful villages in France“. Rotem Bar told me about this village a while back, and I made my way there with her on May 7, during the flower festival. I fell in love with it immediately, and now it’s your turn to fall in love with it too.
The goal of this article is to give you some quick background on this charming village, and to tell you which spots you really shouldn’t miss. I’ll also try to give you the practical travel information you need, like when to visit and where to stay, to help you plan your trip there.
So let’s go back to the Middle Ages, where this village’s story begins, and get started!
The history of Saint Jean de Côle
This charming village, named after the Côle river that runs through it, has existed for nearly 1,000 years. It began as a small monastery, founded in 1083 by Raymond de Thiviers, the bishop of Périgueux, the regional capital.
A relatively short time later, a château joined the monastery, built to protect the monks: the Château de la Marthonie. These two impressive structures grew and developed over the years, and today they are the village’s biggest attractions.
Like quite a few villages in the Périgord region, Saint Jean de Côle found itself caught up in the Hundred Years’ War, and in 1394 it was captured by the English, who decided to destroy the monastery and the château. But ten years later the village was recaptured by the French, and in 1434, at the request of Pope Eugenius IV (r. 1431-1447), it was decided to rebuild the monastery and the château. So most of what you’ll see during your visit was largely built during the 15th century.
But if you thought the village became peaceful and prosperous after the Hundred Years’ War ended, you’d be wrong. During the Wars of Religion (1560-1598), the village became a battlefield between Catholics and Protestants, and during the French Revolution the monastery was disbanded and a very large portion of its books were burned.
Fortunately for the village’s residents, that was the last drama Saint Jean de Côle experienced (before my visit, of course 🙂 ), and nothing much has happened there since. And honestly? That’s been good for the village. Because it never really developed further, most of the old houses are still standing, and no modern buildings were put up in their place. So a visit to this village really does feel like a journey back in time, to an era of pastoral calm and simplicity (which never really existed, but let’s keep enjoying the sweet illusion anyway).
What to see in Saint Jean de Côle
Château de la Marthonie
This château was built to protect the village that had grown up around the monastery, and it was badly damaged during the Hundred Years’ War. During the 15th and 16th centuries the château was rebuilt, with tall, impressive towers added. About a hundred years later, a new wing was added called the “Renaissance wing” (even though the Renaissance actually took place in the 16th century), and it looks much less severe than the rest of the château’s wings and towers.
Unfortunately, the château is closed to the public for most of the year. But if you visit Saint Jean de Côle during the flower festival, you can tour part of the château’s rooms, which for the occasion are all decorated with gorgeous flower arrangements.
Church of Saint John the Baptist
This is a very old church (construction began in the late 11th century), built in the Byzantine style. This style is very rare in the north of France, but in the Périgord you can find a few examples of this type of church, and this is one of the most distinctive and beautiful.
One of the first things that will catch your eye is the 75 small sculptures scattered around the church. These sculptures are called modillions, and they come in all sorts of strange shapes: grotesque faces, animals, and the seven deadly sins, which the church sentences to death.
Look up and you’ll see a kind of large circle covered by a wooden ceiling. That circle shows us that there used to be a stone dome here, about 12 meters in diameter. But that dome collapsed during the Hundred Years’ War, and collapsed again in 1787 and in 1860. Eventually, the people running the church decided they had tried enough, which is why today you see a wooden lattice put up in its place.
Finally, not far from the church entrance, you’ll find something interesting at the bottom of the wall to your right. This is a temporary grave, built during the Middle Ages, when infant mortality was especially high. Infants who died before being baptized were placed in this grave, and because of its closeness to the wall, it would fill up with rainwater. As a result, the infant was effectively “baptized,” and the body could then be moved to a “regular” grave.
The old bridge and the water station
The bridge was built in the 15th century, and it has two supports that protect it from floods by pushing forward branches and other debris that might block the flow of water. In the past, this was the main bridge, since goods entering the village passed over it.
During the 19th century, a new bridge was built and the old one was closed. But that only did it good (from a tourism standpoint), since it has since become a romantic spot with a lovely view of the river.
While standing on the bridge, notice the wheel turning in the water to your right. It was used to power a flour mill and was built by the monks of the nearby monastery.
The monastery of Saint Jean de Côle
As mentioned, the monastery was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, and it housed 16 monks who followed the rule of Saint Augustine. The old monastery didn’t survive the upheavals of the Hundred Years’ War and was destroyed, but it was rebuilt during the 15th century. This monastery, like quite a few others, was shut down during the French Revolution, and the last three monks living there were evicted.
The monastery is built in two parts. The right-hand part is a remnant of the 15th-century structure and contains a cloister (an enclosed courtyard where the monks used to rest) and a gallery leading to the cells where the monks slept. To the left of the cloister you’ll find additional buildings from the 17th century.
The village streets
Once you’ve seen Saint Jean de Côle’s important monuments, it’s time to wander through the alleys and streets and understand why it earned the title of “one of the most beautiful villages in France.” As you wander, you’ll find 14th-century houses made of wood and plaster, decorated with flowers according to the season. Pastoral at its best!
A small anecdote about the houses: the ground floor was always used as a shop, while people lived on the second floor. The reason is that if the stream overflowed its banks, residents could take refuge in their rooms, which were higher up and protected.
Where should you eat?
I didn’t end up eating in the village itself, since everything was packed with tourists (I came, as mentioned, during the flower festival), so we drove to a tiny restaurant in Villars called Le Trincou vival (about a ten-minute drive from the village). But if you’d like to eat in the village itself, here are a few recommended restaurants:
- Le Saint Jean: a recommended restaurant, not too expensive, serving local food. Link to the restaurant’s website.
- Chez Robert: serves an interesting menu for 34 euros, with a strong leaning toward Italian food. Link to the restaurant’s website
- Le Temps de Mets: a charming restaurant near the old bridge that has gotten quite a few good reviews. Link to the restaurant’s Facebook page.
Where should you stay?
The truth is, even though this is a touristy village, you won’t find many hotels here. The only decent one I know of is Chez Robert, a kind of cozy bed and breakfast in the heart of the village.
So my clear recommendation is to stay in Brantôme, a charming town about 20 km away. If you take my advice, go check out the article Recommended hotels in Brantôme to find some truly excellent villas and hotels, which make a great base for exploring Saint Jean de Côle and plenty of other nearby spots.
What else can you see nearby?
- Grotte de Villars: a beautiful limestone cave (I was really impressed by it, even though I’m not usually much of a cave person). You can read more about it in the article Grotte de Villars: a work of art made by nature.
- Château de Puyguilhem: a lovely 16th-century château, not far from Villars at all. You can read about it in the article Château de Puyguilhem: did we accidentally end up in the Loire Valley instead of the Dordogne?
- The town of Brantôme: where you can visit an ancient monastery, take a boat ride along the canals, and eat at a Michelin-starred restaurant. You can read about it in the article Brantôme: the Venice of the Dordogne.