Cathar Country Info

Toques & Clochers

After rising to the fantastic challenge of planting new grape varieties on the Limoux terroir in the early sixties, Les Vignerons du Sieur d’Arques set out to achieve a new goal at the end of the eighties : organizing an auction of their finest wines.

Now a prestigious event attracting buyers from all over the world,
“Toques & Clochers” puts up for auction the most promising barrels of AOC Limoux.
A share of the proceeds are then used to finance the renovation of bell towers in surrounding villages. Every year the auction is hosted by one of France’s great chefs popularly referred
to as a “Toques”, the traditional white chef’s hat

http://www.sieurdarques.com/en/page/205-toques-clochers

This year (2011) the village which will benefit is Le Paradou - a suburb of Limoux - on the weekend of Palm Sunday.  The church to be restored is the Basilica of Our Lady of Marceille, which is located on the road to Pieusse, just outside Limoux

La Depeche reported that Jean Bonal has two ideas for the work: "We want to restore the gate and the chapel where the Virgin appears and a listed painting which was donated by the consuls of Limoux to commemorate the Fire in la rue de la Trinité". The president of the association also reported that a replica of the black virgin decapitated three years ago now by strangers would soon be installed in place of the original.

Sieur d'Arques usually provide a large parking space in Limoux and run buses from there to the village which will benefit.   The village prepares many "personnages" like these illustrated here and sets up stalls for wine tasting and BBQs and bands.  

When we went you paid for a souvenir glass and some tickets which you then exchanged for fills of wine from the stall(s) of your choice.

A great event for all the family to enjoy with food, drink, dancing and other entertainment. 

Antugnac, petit village de la Haute-Vallée de l'Aude, accueillera en 2012

Antugnac, a small village in the Haute-Vallée de l'Aude, will host the event on 31 March and 1 April 2012

Toques & Clochers 2013 will take place at Gardie and Villebazy.

It is the first time ever that Toques & Clochers will be celebrated in two communes. Due to the size and importance of the event, the councils of both villages decided to unite their efforts and resources available to them. This was also the first time that the funding for the restoration of religious buildings will be divided between two churches. In particular the church in Gardie needs some repairs to its roof and to the walls where damp has caused falling plaster.