L’histoire de Rodez is a long and varied one. The town has been occupied by the Visigoths, the Franks, the Moors, the Ducs of Aquitaine and the Counts of Toulouse, but it was only during the Middle Ages that it became a strong centre of power.
It has been part of the Grands Sites de Midi-Pyrenees since 1997 and is working to obtain the label Ville d’Art et d’Histoire, which would place it in the UNESCO world heritage list. The city is also a candidate for a French Region of Excellence (Grands Sites de France) and continues to work on its candidature to become a European Capital of Culture, with the aim of becoming a model of urban development in this category.
The city is the capital of the Aveyron department and is situated at the confluence of the Auterne and Aveyron rivers, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is known for its many Gothic buildings dating from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century.
A cosmopolitan city, Rodez has a wealth of architectural and cultural sites. Its cathedral, built in the fourteenth century, is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. It is also famous for its unique rood-beam.
Despite being a small city, Rodez is rich in museums and galleries. In particular, the Musée des Beaux-Arts is a treasure trove of art and artisan products from the region.
Another important museum is the Musée de Rouergue, a collection of medieval manuscripts and documents from the Rouergue area. It contains a large number of works, including paintings and drawings, from the medieval period, as well as books, illuminated manuscripts, maps and architectural plans.
There are also many other museums in the town, such as the Musée de la Guerre Française and the Musée de la Terreur, which display objects from the Revolution, and the Musée de Saint-Pierre, which has an extensive collection of medieval sculptures and paintings.
The Musée de Provence is also located in Rodez and contains a collection of ancient objects from the area. There is also an exhibition of a variety of medieval weapons, including the swords of the Crusaders.
Other museums in the city include the Musée de l’Art Brut and the Musée du Temps. There is also a museum of the local Occitan language and an archaeological museum with an outstanding collection of artefacts from the region.
Rodez is home to a large number of universities and research centres. The University of Avignon, the Université d’Aix-Marseille, the UMR-Cerisy-Bellevue and the Centre des Sciences de l’Homme are all within easy reach of the city.
Several medical, surgical, gynaecological and obstetrics hospitals are also in the vicinity of the town. In Olemps, a commune of Rodez, there is the hospital Les Peyrieres with more than 60 services in medicine and surgery, and in Olemps itself, the hospital Sainte-Marie.
The town is a real crossroads of Occitan culture, with numerous troubadours who have made their home there and have attempted to perpetuate the Langue d’Oc. This language has grown in importance over the years and is now a major cultural force.