The cat is the animal to whom the creator gave the biggest eye, the softest fur, the most supremely delicate nostrils, a mobile ear, an unrivaled paw and a curved claw borrowed from the rose.
Colette
La Romieu is one of France’s most beautiful villages nestled in the rural Gascony countryside. Its original name, Larroumieu, means “pilgrim” in the old occitan language and, coincidentally, the village is on the Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage route.
La Romieu is a village infused with history and legend, from Benedictine Monks and Knights Templar to enchanted fairy tales. As one tale is told, during the Middle Ages a calamitous harvest led to famine and desperation. Villagers ate whatever they could to stay alive, including household pets. Angeline, a local orphan, couldn’t tolerate the thought of eating her beloved cats, so she hid a male and female cat in the attic of her adoptive parents’ house. Soon, there wasn’t a pet left in the village.
As so often happens in the lives of farmers, the following year there was a plentiful harvest. The villagers grew so much corn that it had to be kept in storehouses. Rats followed the corn into the storehouses to partake of the feast. And mice, who lived in the cornfields away from the preying eyes of red tailed hawks, sought refuge in the village houses.
In a years time, too, Angeline’s cats grew plentiful, as they’re wont to do, and Angeline offered them to the villagers on the condition they promise never to harm a cat, or dog, again, and they agreed. Her beloved cats killed all of the rodents in the village and everyone lived happily ever after. It is said, Anegline grew more feline looking as she aged.
In the 1960’s a local sculptor whose grandmother used to tell him this story, carved stone cats for the village. They are placed everywhere -in alcoves, on old walls, crawling in windows and prowling on rooftops. Every time I visit La Romieu I discover another cat hidden in plain sight. La Romieu is the fabric fairy tales are made of. The village offers accommodations, a few good restaurants and plenty of charm. It’s on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites.
