The Goat Eaters
St Silvain Bellegarde - Carte de Cassini
St Silvain Bellegarde - Carte de Cassini - BnF
Saint-Silvain-Bellegarde

The Goat Eaters

History
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The Goat Eaters hike invites you to discover Bellegarde en Marche and St Silvain Bellegarde, two towns with a closely linked history.
History and legend mingle in this itinerary that leaves room for the imagination... The Middle Ages left their mark on the territory which, at the time, enjoyed a privileged status of exemption!

3 points of interest

  • Bellegarde en Marche - Panorama
    Bellegarde en Marche - Panorama - Association des Amis de Bellegarde et du Franc Alleu
    Panorama

    Panorama overlooking Bellegarde en Marche

    In the Middle Ages, Bellegarde was the capital of the Franc-Alleu. This name designates a territory of full ownership, free of any obligation of paying royalties, unlike the fiefdom.
  • Bellegarde en Marche - Les Cornes de Chèvres
    Bellegarde en Marche - Les Cornes de Chèvres - Association des Amis de Bellegarde et du Franc Alleu
    Legend

    The Goat Horns

    During the Hundred Years' War, the inhabitants of Bellegarde, attacked by the English army of the "Black Prince", defended their city with strange weapons: tool handles topped with goat horns. At that time, goats were abundant in this region covered with broom and heath. Afterwards, the alley was decorated with these horns, symbol of the Bellegard epic. This legend is at the origin of the creation, in 1962, of the Confrérie des Mangeurs de Chèvres (Brotherhood of Goat Eaters).
  • St Silvain Bellegarde - Eglise St Silvain
    St Silvain Bellegarde - Eglise St Silvain - Commune de St Silvain Bellegarde
    Heritage site

    Church of St Silvain

    A 13th-century church, rebuilt in the 17th century, listed on the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1925.
    The altarpiece and its two side altars are classified as historic monuments. The roof of its bell tower is made of chestnut shingles.

Description

  1. Leave by the path in front of the church gate. After 150 m turn right, follow the path and then the road to the D 9 crossroads. Continue straight ahead and then turn right "Chemin de l'abattoir".
  2. Turn left into "Rue Basse", cross the road and take "Rue du Château".
  3. On the right take the GR; leave it at the railway crossing on the left.
  4. Go into Malleret on the left and then on the right, past a stable block. Take the path that goes downhill. Turn left at the crossroads. Cross the D9.
  5. At the end of the path turn left; at the stop sign turn to the right.
  6. Pass the cemetery and go up to La Chapelle to admire the view.
  7. Take the road that goes down to reach the village.
  8. At the crossroads, take the "Route du Breu" to the right. Leave the village "Les Bierges". A few metres further on, turn left onto a path that climbs up, keep left for 1 km 400 m and enter Bellegarde.
  9. In front of the Clock Tower, turn right twice. Take the GR 46 for 1 km.
  10. Leave the GR, take the path on the left. Follow it to the road. Go a few metres to the right and take the path on the left to St Silvain.
  • Departure : Church Square, Saint Silvain Bellegarde
  • Arrival : Church Square, Saint Silvain Bellegarde
  • Towns crossed : Saint-Silvain-Bellegarde, Bellegarde-en-Marche, and La Chaussade

Forecast

Altimetric profile

Information desks

Rue de l'Etang, 23700 Auzances

05 55 67 04 99

Access and parking

From Bellegarde en Marche, take the D9 then right to join St Silvain Bellegarde

Parking :

Church Square, Saint Silvain Bellegarde

Accessibility

Emergency number :
112

More information

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