The Medieval Village of Penne, Tarn, France

Penne is one of those places that you wonder, "Why didn't I hear of this place before?"

I guess most have heard of Albi, Bruniquel even, Carcassonne, Cordes-sur-Ciel ... but Penne has slipped under the radar.

It is firmly on the tourist trail on the "Circuit des Bastides Albigeois" along with Bruniquel, Puycelsi, Castelnau de Montmirail, Castelnau de Lévis and Cordes sur Ciel,

It lies on a ridge high above the 'Gorges de L'Aveyron' - it is SOOOO beautiful and steeped in history.

Here is what the very limited English Wikipedia page has to say about it :

The first traces of activity date back to the Bronze Age. In the middle of the 19th century, Jean-Baptiste Noulet explored a cave called Le Cuzoul d'Armand, and discovered several artifacts, including a bronze pearl necklace.
Middle-Ages
Mentions of the castle of Penne can be found as early as the 11th century, when the local Lady was known to be an Albigensian, but the main towers date back to the 13th and 14th century.

Remains include the dungeon, ramparts and a chapel.
The ancient village of Penne d'Albigeois is built on a mountain spur dominated by the ruins of a 12th-century fortress, hence its nickname, the "Vertigo Citadel", or the "Impregnable".

This remarkable site, over the Aveyron, was highly strategic in the Middle-Age, though the fortress itself was relatively spared by the Albigensian Crusade.

I will be back and I'll write more ...