Our Blog - Galan, France

One of the little villages that we went to was Galan, a small village with less than 800 people. The oldest report of the town and name was in 1190 under the name of Arnaldus de Gala, changing to Arnaldus of Galan in 1204 and eventually to Galan around 1429.

There aren't that many historical sites other than the Church of Saint-Julien de Brioude. You will notice only exterior pictures because it was closed when we arrived. Then, a minute later, someone pulled up in a car and parked, and was opening the door. We asked if the church could be visited and he basically said no, he was the priest and was opening the church for a mass for the sick (at least, that is what we understood from his mumbling French). I did include below a picture that was on the outside on a tourist plaque, that shows a medieval wall painting which is quite rare in rural areas. It was built in the early 11th century. The original wooden bell tower was destroyed in 1868 in a fire caused by a lightning strike. It was rebuilt into the current form, a large spire with a pyramidal shape with a hexagonal base.

Like many churches, it is dominated by the two main architectural styles of the Middle Ages: Romanesque and Gothic (although most of these elements are supposedly more visible on the interior). However, you can see the Gothic style in the entry doors (one of which is now closed up), with the pointed arch and the ribs. And while you can't see what the stained glass windows represent from the outside, you can see the lovely stonework around the top.

The two large doors of the South Gate were closed every evening to ensure the security of the once-fortified village. This gate, which dates from (they think) the 13th century, is the last vestige of the walls that used to encircle the town. On the upper floor, accessible through a narrow door and staircase on the left side, was a guard room. The last picture is from the outside, to show what the visitors to the town would have seen as they came up to the gate.

As we walked into the square just in front of the Mairie (Town Hall), we saw these really lovely half-timbered houses with galleries below. While there is no written confirmation, they think the building dates back to the 14th century. It has undergone several renovations and was in such a horrible condition in the early-to-mid 1900's that it was slated for demolition. But instead, another renovation was done and the town hall was "reopened" as a town hall in 1994.