Rodez: the pink cathedral of the Aveyron

Built in reddish sandstone on a hill overlooking the valley, Rodez houses a Gothic cathedral in unusual colors for France.

The center, dominated by the pink cathedral of Aveyron, is comfortably explored on foot.

The Cathedral of Rodez, built in red sandstone over three centuries, features an unusual fortified facade for a religious building, a legacy of medieval tensions between the bishop and local counts.

Just nearby, the Soulages Museum, dedicated to painter Pierre Soulages born in Rodez, displays the world's largest collection of his works in black.

Continuing, you walk along the panoramic bastions of the old town, which offer views over the surrounding hills of Aveyron.

As evening falls, the covered market in the center sells local cheeses, including the famous Roquefort produced in caves of the nearby region.

Pierre Soulages, the painter renowned for his monochromatic black artworks, donated much of his artistic output to his native city, leading to the construction of a museum entirely devoted to his work.

Rodez Cathedral's fortified façade reflects centuries of conflicts between the bishop's religious authority and the counts' civil power, both seeking control of the medieval city.