Bell's Festival
“Les Amis de Gandoulès”, an association set up to help preserve rural traditions via sharing & friendship and which is centered on the hamlet of Gandoulès, have raised funds to repair the two existing church bells and to have a new third bell cast.
A three day Festival, with numerous events & festivities, will take place between 21-23 September, it will celebrate the return of the two original bells, and the dedication and installation of the new bell to be known as 'Marie', all will be rung together at the festival's end.
Bell Restoration
The small church at Gandoulès, dedicated to St Peter, is a jewel of 12th century architecture and has witnessed much of the history of our Quercy Blanc,
a part of the greater Occitanie region.
The church contains an important regional heritage item, a working XV century bell.
A survey of the bell installation in 2014 highlighted various problems, so serious that the bell was deemed to be unsafe and unable to be rung until repairs had been carried out.
The association 'Les Amis de Gandoulès ' with the support of the local municipality of Montpezat de Quercy being concerned to preserve local heritage launched an appeal to repair the two bells, and to commission a third new bell.
"Les Amis de Gandoulès" wish to thank the municipality of Montpezat de Quercy for its support and all the partners who took part in the project: the Regional Council of Occitanie, the Regional Cultural Affaires Directorate and the Departmental Council of Tarn & Garonne.
Our thanks go to the numerous volunteers and sponsors who have made a commitment to this project. We would also like to thank the companies 'Laumaillé' and 'Corneille Harvard' for their expertise.
Thanks to you all, the bells at Gandoulès will continue to peal out over the our countryside, drawing people to work together in the spirit of friendship and to continue to preserve the legacy of times past...