 Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
The organization known
as Les Plus Beaux Villages de France was founded back in 1982 by the
then mayor (Charles Ceyrac) of Collonges-la-Rouge in the
Corrèzedépartment of France. This village became the first ever
designated ‘Most Beautiful Village’. The aim of the founders was to
protect some of the smaller villages of France that tended to be
somewhat off the beaten track. Membership of the movement helps to
protect the heritage of these small communities. There are certain
criteria that these villages must adhere to. For example, the population
must not exceed 2000 inhabitants and the village/hamlet must have at
least 2 sites or protected monuments.
At the moment there
are 155 villages in the scheme (see a complete listing here),
with 152 in mainland
France, 2 in Corsica and one on the Island of La Réunion in Dom-Tom.
However, the organisation works in a similar way to the prestigious
Michelin restaurant rating system in that new villages can be added or
removed. Existing villages are closely monitored to make sure that they
continue to adhere to the movements strict principles, based on their
intrinsic architecture, heritage and beauty. In fact, since France For
Families first compiled this section, 3 villages have lost their status
and 9 new villages have been added - the most recent being Capdenhac-le-Haut
in the Lot, Montcontour in Cotes d’Armor and Sainte-Suzanne in Mayenne.
Nearly all of the regions of France have villages in the scheme - to see
the ones that are featured on France For Families check out the links on
the map below. For further information, click the link and it will take
you to the regional information page within our site. |
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