The medieval hamlet of St Caprazy is situated in the Sorgues valley in the municipality of St Félix de Sorgues and has managed to keep its authenticity over the centuries.

A wealth of 12th- to 14th-century architecture – Selected in 2019 as a beneficiary of the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Aveyron

Twenty years ago now, they acquired the hamlet of Saint-Caprazy. Abandoned for several decades, since 1949, the site – entirely overgrown with vegetation – revealed just a single dwelling at the time.

As they cleared the undergrowth, they discovered that several houses, visible on the 1830 land registry map, were still partially standing. The initial clearing of the site, carried out during the summer of 2000, took nearly 900 working days thanks to numerous volunteers, friends and family members.

Spurred on by the enthusiasm generated by these discoveries, they were able, over the course of that summer, to reveal the site’s many magnificent views, thereby providing the necessary impetus for the significant conservation work carried out since then.

The hamlet now preserves six main buildings, the construction of which likely spanned from the late 12th to the 14th century. Four buildings have been saved from ruin: one is intended as a dwelling, another houses a workshop, whilst the other two have been made weatherproof.

They have chosen to prioritise the conservation and preservation of this remarkable heritage. Thanks to the 2019 Heritage Lottery, the 14th-century house – notable in particular for its semi-circular arch and dovecote – was saved before it fell into ruin.