Bruniquel

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Administration
Commune of Bruniquel Top of the main street in Bruniquel
Country	France
Région	Midi-Pyrénées
Département	Tarn-et-Garonne
Arrondissement	Montauban
Mayor	Michel Montet
Statistics
Land area¹	33.2 km²
Population² (1999)	564
- Density (1999)	17/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	82026/ 82800
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq. mi. or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Bruniquel is one of the 195 communes of the Tarn-et-Garonne département of France.

1 Geography
2 Sights
3 Miscellaneous
4 Transportation
5 Notes
6 External links

[edit] Geography

The tiny fortified village of 500 inhabitants is at an altitude of 250 metres by the river Aveyron.

[edit] Sights

The village is a picturesque mixture of old pink stone and red tile with a dramatic belfy, medieval gateways and defensive walls. Two feudal medieval castles dominate the village and the valley.

The 'old' castle was built in the 12th century on the ruins of an earlier fortress said to have been founded by Queen Brunehaut in the 6th century (and remained occupied until the 20th century. It was the home of William of Tudela who wrote the first part of La Chanson de la Croisade Albigeoise, an account of the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. The castle is notable for a gallery 20 metres long in Renaissance style overhanging the valley of which it offers steep views that many visitors find alarming.

The 'young' castle was built in the 15th century and occupied for about 200 years. It now houses a museum of prehistory exhibiting "treasures of Bruniquel" found in several caves near the castles.

These caves include the Meyrieres Cave which contained ancient wall paintings that were erased by overenthusiastic graffiti cleaners in 1991 and the Bruniquel Cave that includes evidence of Neanderthal activity.

[edit] Miscellaneous

The commune's shield depicts a red chevron above a ram's head on a green ground.

Since 1997 the castles have been the venue of an annual arts festival celebrating the works of Jacques Offenbach.

The village and its surroundings feature in the 1975 film Le Vieux Fusil (The Old Rifle) directed by Robert Enrico starring Romy Schneider and Philippe Noiret.