After leaving Lyon, our first stop was Pérouges, northeast of the city. We arrived early, so the low-lying morning sun gave the cobblestone streets and weathered stone walls a special golden-brown glow. This little medieval jewel box is at its most beautiful when the squares are quiet and you can almost feel the history oozing from the walls.
Legends surround the founding of Pérouges: according to tradition, the town was founded by Gallic settlers from Perugia in Italy, from whom it takes its name. The village enjoyed its heyday in the 14th and 15th centuries, when it was ruled by the House of Savoy. Thanks to its strategic location, it was an important border fortress between France and the Duchy of Savoy, and its walled core has survived the centuries almost intact.
The town’s economy was once driven by crafts, especially weaving, and agriculture. Until the end of the 18th century, it was a thriving community, but the industrial revolution and the avoidance of railway lines gradually led to the village becoming depopulated. By the end of the 19th century, Pérouges had become almost a ghost town, its population had drastically decreased, and the buildings were falling into disrepair, which, in a strange way, helped to preserve the original medieval structure from reconstruction.
The village was saved thanks to a conscious conservation effort. At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1911, the “Circle of Friends of Pérouges” was founded, whose members – including artists and politicians – decided to restore the crumbling houses. Thanks to their work, the village regained its former glory and is now considered one of the most beautiful villages in France, where car traffic is prohibited and every corner evokes the past.
Today, Pérouges is not only a favorite of tourists, but also of filmmakers; Many costume films (such as The Three Musketeers) were filmed within its walls because of the authentic sets.
