Penne, Tarn

Bronze Age bead necklace, Penne, Tarn - Muséum de Toulouse

The first archaeological finds indicating human activity in the Languedoc region date back to the Holocene Bronze Age, 1800-1500 BC, according to Bilotte, Duranthon and Palevol.[4]

In 2006 these writers revived interest in the work of the scientist, Jean-Baptiste Noulet (1802-1890), who had explored the Tarn area in the mid-19th century and found evidence of human habitation in many of the caves there.

Working in Penne in 1851, within a cave known as 'Le Cuzoul d'Armand' or 'Grotte Mazuc', Noulet found several prehistoric artifacts, including a bronze and pearl necklace, now held in the Noulet Collection at the Toulouse Museum.[5]

The ruins of the Castle of Penne

According to the historical account on the Southwest Story web site, "The first reference to a castle in the village of Penne dates from 825 AD and its first known señor was Geoffroi, mentioned in 1096 in documents related to Raymond, Count of Toulouse" .

Throughout the Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) the site of Penne was of military strategic importance, being situated on the borders of the provinces of Albigeois, Quercy and Rouergue, with its fortress perched atop a cliff overlooking the River Aveyron.

As such, it was frequently the target of attack, most notably during the Albigensian Crusade - a twenty-year military campaign (1209-1229) initiated by the French king, Phillip II and the Roman Catholic pope, Innocent III.[6]

Ostensibly, the objective of the crusade was the elimination of all Cathars in southern France, but this coincided with the French king's political ambition to annex the area to his northern territory.[7]

People who adhered to Catharic principles were held to be anti-Catholic heretics and, as narrated by McCaffrey, "their treatment was savage and merciless - heretics and their sympathisers were often either slaughtered or burned alive at the stake".[8]

The castle remained in use, seeing repeated conflicts, such as the Hundred Years War(1337-1453) between England and France, and the French Wars of Religion (1562–1598) between Protestants and Roman Catholics during which it was partly destroyed. It was then abandoned for approximately 400 years.[9]

Interest in the village's architecture and history was re-ignited in 1902 when the castle was officially declared to be a Historic Monument of France, after which restoration of the ruins began, and the work is still ongoing. The remains of the castle include the dungeon, the ramparts and a chapel.

Penne castle is open to the public from mid-February until mid-November each year, with educational events and pageants being performed in July and August.

The church of Sainte Catherine de Penne

The city council provides information about the church of St Catherine of Penne,[10] which includes the following points of interest:

The church has undergone numerous changes over the centuries. It was originally built around the end of the 13th century, in the Occitan Gothic style; several 13th century features remain, such as the holy water stoup.

It formed part of the defensive system of town walls and was at the entrance to the village.

During the Wars of Religion in the 16th century, the building was badly damaged, and the church bells were thrown into a well (but they were later retrieved and one was able to be restored).

Interior of Sainte Catherine de Penne

It was re-roofed and restored during the reign of Henry IV ('Good King Henry') (1589-1610).

Each century since has seen intermittent efforts to restore and improve the church, including a major re-orientation of the building in 1876.

The tabernacle in the choir is of painted and gilded wood, and was registered as a "Monument Historique" on 6 June 1993

There is a legend that in the early 13th century the Castle of Penne was owned by the noblewoman Adalaïs - a great beauty, famous for cultivation of the chivalric arts and for commissioning brilliant pageants and festivals. Adalaïs was courted by the head of the powerful House of Toulouse, Raymond Jourdain.[11]

Troubadour entertaining a royal audience

Count Raymond Jourdain, a highly accomplished knight in the chivalric tradition, is said to have pledged himself to Adalaïs, before being called away to war. When she was told that he had been killed in battle, her grief was such that she renounced her noble life, and made the irreversible decision to enter a monastery. However, against all expectations, Raymond Jourdain recovered from his battle wounds and returned to Penne, where he found that Adalaïs was effectively lost to him. After an extended period of mourning he found a replacement for Adalaïs, in the person of Elise (or Alice) de Montfort, as the fable tells it.[11]

An alternative version of the legend is related by Rutherford,[12] who records that Raymond Jourdain was involved with Madame Mabine Rais, the wife of the Viscount of Albi, not Adalaïs of Penne, and that Mabine died of grief at his reported death, rather than entering a monastery.

Another version of the story, also told by Rutherford, names Raymond of Miraval - a famous troubadour, and a favourite of Raymond Jourdain - as the ardent suitor of one Adalaïs, the wife of Bernard of Boisasso, the lord of the Castle of Lombes. Their story is filled with intrigue and deceit, and ended when Adalaïs tricked Raymond by consorting with the King of Saxony instead of spending the night with Raymond.[13]

Works by Raymond of Miraval still exist[14] and include two songs which link the names of Adalaïs and Raymond.[11]

The village of Penne and its medieval castle

Daily weather forecasts for the town can be found on the Meteo France web site .

Météo France states that the overall climate of Penne is very similar to that of the town of Montauban.

• Communes of the Tarn department
• Tourism in Tarn
• Penne Castle web site (in French)
• YouTube video tour of the village, Penne-du-Tarn (in English)
• Le festival Penne - Art dans le bourg medieval (The festival of Penne - art in the medieval village) (in French)