Bars

In the midst of the Barade forest (private reserved forest), Bars, a village which was made famous by Eugène Le Roy’s novel Jacquou le Croquant, is situated a few kilometres south of the National Road 89. This parish has a small population (219) but is relatively vast, covering 2,258 hectares.

The only recorded history of the village is fragmentary, and sometimes anecdotic, such as the visit of the Emirate Abdéraman who, during the withdrawal after the defeat of Poitiers, stayed in the area for three days with his troops. He was reputed to have hidden a treasure there, but it has never been found (or if someone found it, it was never reported…).

The church of Bars was probably founded between 1025 and 1120. We can suppose these dates are correct because a Papal Bull from the Pope Calixte the Second cites Bars amongst the possessions of the Benedictine Abbey of Tortoirac, which was founded in 1025. No older document has been found to this day.

The Bars church was considered destroyed after the passage of English troops of Derby County in 1352 during the French and the English face-off of the Hundred Year’s War.

In 1365, the Black Prince had a survey of the parish done which counted a population at that time of 164 lights (4 to 5 inhabitants per light). The church was repaired and, as reported in 1380, dedicated to Saint-Pierre and to Sainte-Quitterie. Two centuries later, in 1559, while the Wars of Religion rage, Bars is witness to the passage of Geoffroy de Vivans with 300 gentlemen and 500 harquebusiers.

The church, as it is today presented, is distinguished by its bell wall so typical in our region, with four embrasures, of which two are occupied by bells. The building itself is rectangular, pierced through with irregular windows and featuring a ceiling. The gate has a Gothic allure. During work in the church in 1982, a fortunate discovery was made of colourful paintings in many places. Today the church is home to the Harmonium Museum where there are more than 20 harmoniums to be found (open in July and August).

The Cannons Road passes through Bars: the mineral-rich ground contains iron but also clay and silicates which allowed for the development of glassworks, tile works, and “portable forges.” The hypothesis of the existence of these “portable forges” was formed after the discovery of heaps of iron slag and other forging residues in the forest.