Category: French History
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Inside the French City That Ruled the Christian World for 70 Years
Discover Avignon: seven popes ruled from the world’s largest Gothic palace for 70 years, and a famous half-built bridge still tells their story — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Every Pilgrim Walking to Spain Starts in This Volcanic French City
Inside the volcanic city where pilgrims have started their walk to Spain for over a thousand years — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Brittany Has More Ancient Standing Stones Than Anywhere on Earth
Discover the Carnac stones in Brittany — 3,000 prehistoric menhirs older than Stonehenge, still standing in silent rows across the Breton moorland — plus get weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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French Surnames of Provence: Origins, Meanings and Family Heritage
Discover 15 French surnames of Provence, their Occitan and Latin origins, and how they spread to Canada, Louisiana, and South Africa. Trace your Provençal roots.
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The Ancient Cave in Southern France That Rewrote Human History
The Ardèche gorge conceals a sealed cave with 36,000-year-old paintings that rewrote prehistory — plus weekly France stories free in our newsletter.
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The Acadians: Expelled from Nova Scotia, Forever French
The Acadians built a new France in Nova Scotia — only to be expelled. Discover their story, their roots in France, and how their identity survived.
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The Pyrenean Escape Routes Are Still There — and Anyone Can Walk Them
During WWII, guides led thousands across the Pyrenees into Spain. The Chemin de la Liberté still exists — and you can walk it today.
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The Roman Buildings in France That People Never Stopped Using
France has Roman amphitheatres, theatres, and aqueducts that have never stopped being used. From Nîmes to Lyon, discover the ancient structures still at the heart of French life today.
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The French Village That Sheltered 3,500 People — and Never Talked About It
High on a remote plateau in the Auvergne, the village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon sheltered thousands of Jewish refugees during the Second World War — quietly, collectively, and with extraordinary courage.
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France Has 80 Volcanoes — and Most Visitors Have Never Heard of Them
France has 80 dormant volcanoes in the Auvergne region — the Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most visitors have never heard of them.