Car Boot Sale and Crafts of Lapanouse

Hunt for treasures and discover crafts in the heart of a medieval Aveyronnais village

Every August 15th, the village of Lapanouse comes alive for its annual festival, which combines a car boot sale and a craft market. Organized by the association Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Panousain, this event takes over the historic heart of the village: the old streets, the small squares, and the surroundings of the Romanesque church, whose foundations date back to the 9th century. Stallholders set up all day, from 9 am to 6 pm, offering visitors a route for treasure hunting and artisanal discovery in an authentic stone setting.

Exceptional architectural heritage

Lapanouse, a former commune attached to Sévérac-d'Aveyron since 2016, boasts remarkable heritage. The Romanesque church retains from its original 9th-century building the exterior choir with its axial window. From the 12th century, striking grimacing figure corbels remain on the exterior facades, columns with sculpted capitals inside, as well as a wrought-iron sacristy that is said to have contained a relic of the True Cross brought back from the Crusades. The Château de Loupiac, a square building flanked by four round towers, was built in 1443 by Guy, Bishop of Mende. It survived the Wars of Religion — captured by the Catholics in 1562, then by the Calvinists in 1576 — before suffering damage during the Revolution in 1793.

Birthplace of an Enlightenment philosopher

Lapanouse is proud to be the birthplace of Abbé Guillaume-Thomas Raynal (1713-1796), an Enlightenment philosopher and writer whose *Histoire philosophique et politique des établissements et du commerce des Européens dans les deux Indes* was one of the most widely read works of the 18th century. His birthplace is still visible in the village. The association Sauvegarde du Patrimoine Panousain also offers the "Hier Lapanouse" trail, a free circuit through the village center that reconstructs shops from the 1950s-1960s using photographs, testimonies, and period objects.

Car boot sale and crafts: two complementary worlds

The event brings together two complementary areas in the village streets:

• Car boot sale: Private individuals offer clothes, crockery, books, toys, trinkets, small furniture, and everyday items
• Craft market: Local artisans and creators exhibit their work — jewelry, soaps, glasswork, leatherwork, and other original creations

The friendly atmosphere of this small village in the causse de Sévérac, at an altitude of 658 meters, makes it an ideal outing for August 15th. Booking a stall is mandatory with the organizing association.

Practical information for visitors

The Lapanouse Car Boot Sale and Crafts takes place in the heart of the village of Lapanouse, commune of Sévérac-d'Aveyron (12150), two kilometers from Sévérac-le-Château. Entry is free for visitors. The event runs from 9 am to 6 pm. Booking a stall is mandatory at 06 87 11 59 32. Sévérac-d'Aveyron is accessible via the A75 motorway (exit 42) and the Sévérac-le-Château SNCF train station.