Nègrepelisse

Established on a hillock, Nègrepelisse is not the original name of the city. Named Sieurac, then La Mothe St Pierre, Nègrepelisse owes its current name, it is said, to the Tulmonenque forest and more precisely to the woodcutters who made charcoal and who were dressed in a coat blackened by dust.
It was a country of wood, whose inhabitants lived on the complementarity of natural resources between forest and agricultural space.

The castle, formerly on the edge of the great forest of Tulmont, "Nègre-pelisse" owes its strange name to its many charcoal manufacturers or merchants. On the esplanade overlooking the Aveyron, one can see the foundations of the medieval castle, remodeled in the 18th century. In 1773, this building welcomed the painter Fragonard who made a drawing of it, thus keeping a trace of the original building which was demolished around 1850. Today, the esplanade and the foundations of the castle allow visitors to stroll on the shady banks of the Aveyron.

Nègrepelisse is located in the agricultural and alluvial plain of the Aveyron. This flat and rectilinear landscape offers horizontal lines in the valley and vertical lines in the heart of the city. This ancient bastide is located 17 kilometers from Montauban, this proximity gives it a position of welcome for the active population with daily migrations. The city is at the crossroads of important roads linking large towns. At equal distance from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, and close to Toulouse, Nègrepelisse is a favorable place for the development of green tourism. The increase of the population is the first indication of the gentle way of life that reigns here. Leisure activities and cultural events give rhythm to the life of Nègrepelissiens.

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