Le Fréchou

The name Fréchou comes from the Latinfraxinus, meaning ash tree (a tree commonly found in the Osse valley). Located on a natural spur where a primitive settlement once stood, the village of Fréchou grew up aroundthe12th-centuryparish churchof Saint Christophe and the 13th-century castle. It is mentioned as a castrum in 1256. Its position on the heights offers a breathtaking view of the hillsides.

Le Fréchou was the scene of events that one would never suspect existed.

If Henry IV became King of France, he owes it in part to the death of the Duke of Guise, who was assassinated in 1588 by the Cadets of Gascony. But what is less well known is that the operation was led by François de Monpezat: Lord of Fréchou! The latter took refuge in his castle in Fréchou after the attack. The village thus found itself at the center of a little-known episode in French history.

Near the village, there is also apath known as Henri IV(part of the Ténarèze route) which runs alongside the Osse valley. You can see theRoman bridge, which can be accessed via a signposted hiking trail from the Fréchou road in Artigues.

The functions of this bridge are still the subject of much speculation: a passageway leading to the Gallo-Roman villa of Ninévia the Chemin Henri IV, a dam used to regulate the river's water flow and direct it towards theFréchou mill,or one of the countless branches of the Way of St. James intended for pilgrims.

Finally,wash houses and fountainsalso make this village an interesting place to discover.

Find Le Fréchou atwww.lefrechou.fr