Charming village, with its fortified church, its old central market hall, its museum, its half-timbered and corbelled houses, its fairground and shaded squares which invite you to visit. Simorre surprises and amazes. The atmosphere of this small village is pleasant, as much as the musical and friendly nights on the square opposite the Bouche à Oreille.

A little history: The village with its picturesque streets is particularly surprising with its impressive fortified church which emerges between the roofs of the houses and which gives the impression of taking a journey to the heart of the Middle Ages. After a devastating fire in 1141, the village, formerly the capital of Astarac, was rebuilt around the abbey and the whole was fortified in the 12th century. To resist the Count of Astarac, the abbots constantly improved their abbey which was equipped with a cloister, an octagonal bell tower and then extended to the west.

The Abbey Church, architectural jewel: A masterpiece of brick lost in the Astarac of stone. Dedicated to Notre Dame, it was built on the site of the previous church which perhaps extended further to the west because work carried out in 1900 revealed remains of construction in the extension of the current nave. Major restoration work was carried out between 1844 and 1858 under the direction of Viollet-le-Duc. The roof, which rested on the walls, was lowered so as to rest directly on the vaults and crenellation was established around the building.

“Simorre, slow and committed commune! It belongs to the network of the national label Cittaslow »