Gargilesse-Dampierre

Member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France

George Sand lived in this Berry village near the point where the Gargilesse stream meets the Creuse, and her house is now one of its sights. The village also keeps a castle built in the 13th and 14th centuries and an 11th-century church. Walkers on the Val de Creuse paths and pilgrims bound for Compostela both pass through.

Highlights

George Sand's house, the Villa Algira
The castle, built in the 13th–14th centuries and enlarged later
The 11th-century church of Saint-Laurent-et-Notre-Dame
The house of the painter Léon Détroy
Footpaths along the Creuse valley, including the GR 654

Text adapted from Wikipedia (Gargilesse-Dampierre (FR), Gargilesse-Dampierre (EN), Gargilesse-Dampierre (IT)), Wikivoyage (Gargilesse-Dampierre). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Population: 262

Things to see

Events through the year

Flower and farm produce market Fairs and markets · Second Sunday of May
Festival de musique Music and arts · Second half of August
Open-air street art exhibition Music and arts · Sunday before 15 August
Journées du livre Fairs and markets · Last weekend of September

Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.

Adapted from Wikipedia (Gargilesse-Dampierre). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Specialities of Centre-Val de Loire

Typical of the region rather than of this village.

CoyauCrottin 02 CC BY-SA 3.0
Crottin de ChavignolCheeseSmall goat's cheese, eaten fresh or aged and dry
Pierre-Yves BeaudouinValençay 04 CC BY-SA 4.0
ValençayCheesePyramid-shaped goat's cheese, protected by an AOC
CoyauPouligny-saint-pierre (fromage) 03 CC BY-SA 3.0
Pouligny-Saint-PierreCheesePyramid-shaped goat's cheese from the Brenne
SancerreWineWhite, red and rosé AOC wines of the Loire hills
Menetou-SalonWine
Marianne CasamanceSoupe de lentilles verte du Berry CC BY-SA 4.0
Berry green lentil (FR)Local produceProtected green lentil, also cooked as a soup