Blesle

Blesle
region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Haute Loire
Arrondissement	Brioude
Canton	Sainte-Florine
Community association	Brioude Sud Auvergne
Coordinates	45 ° 19 ′ N , 3 ° 10 ′ E Coordinates: 45 ° 19 ′ N , 3 ° 10 ′ E
height	472-875 m
surface	29.80 km 2
Residents	637 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	21 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	43450
INSEE code	43033
	; Blesle

Blesle is a French municipality with 637 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Haute-Loire in the region Auvergne Rhône-Alpes . It is located in the Arrondissement of Brioude in the canton of Sainte-Florine . Blesle is classified as one of the Plus beaux villages de France ( Most Beautiful Villages in France ).

Geographical location

The municipality of 29.8 square kilometers is located at 472 to 875 m above sea level at the mouths of the Voireuze and Sianne in the Alagnon on the northwestern edge of the Haute-Loire department, on the border with the Cantal and Puy-de-Dôme departments, 95 km from Le Puy , 28 km east of Brioude and 15 km from Massiac .

history

The town developed around a Benedictine - Abbey of the ninth century . Towards the end of the 11th century , Besle was ruled by the Barons de Mercœur. In the 17th century the abbey became a women's monastery .

Attractions

Medieval cityscape
Former abbey church of St-Pierre de Blesle (11th / 12th centuries), with a representation of Christ from the 12th century and a Madonna from the 13th century, today parish church
Church Sainte-Marie (12th century)
Church Saint-Sébastien (12th century)
Église de Bousselargues , a Romanesque church (12th and 15th centuries)
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-La-Chaigne , a chapel built in 1638
Bell tower of the old Saint-Martin church (14th century)
Tour de guet du Massadou , a tower from the 13th century
Tour de Mercœur , a medieval tower today Tour aux Vingt Angles called
Château du Bos , a castle from the 17th / 18th centuries century
Several medieval mansions
Hospital portal from the 15th century