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The village elected “preferred by the French” in 2025 made travel in the Middle Ages.
France-For the first time, a village in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes was elected “Favorite village of the French 2025”. The town of Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye, located halfway between Grenoble and Valence, in Isère, won the prestigious title at the end of the eponymous program presented by Stéphane Bern, on France 3.
The medieval city, which succeeds Collioure in the Pyrénées-Orientales, faced 13 other competing villages: Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (Corrèze), Clécy (Calvados), Rochefort-en-Yvelines (Yvelines), Calcatoggio (Corse-du-Sud), Ferrières-en-Gtinais (Loiret), Fontevraud-l’Abbaye (Maine-et-Loire), Grand’rivière (Martinique), Malestroit (Morbihan), Longpont (Aisne), Lupiac (Gers), Semur-en-auxois (Côte-d’Or), Saorge (Alpes-Maritimes) and Sierck-les-Bains (Moselle).
“A fantastic time travel of the Middle Ages”
Classified among “Most beautiful villages in France”, Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye was “Founded in 1070 around the relics of Saint-Antoine the Egyptian”explains the site of the Isère department. The monks of the Montmajour Abbey were sent to take care of these relics and began the construction of the priory and the church, completes the site of the site “Most beautiful villages in France”.
The village is mainly renowned for its abbey church in Gothic style, classified as a historic monument in 1840. Located on the way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle, dozens of pilgrims are flocking there every year.
“With its cobbled alleys, half -timbered houses and old halls, the village has preserved its charm of yesteryear », Still praising the department of Isère. While the site of the Tourist Office of Saint-Marcellin Vercors completes: ” Large residences contrasting with half-timbered houses offer a fantastic time trip from the Middle Ages. »»
For this 14th edition of Favorite village of the French, Malestroit in Brittany and Semur-en-auxois in Burgundy-Franche-Comté complete the classification.
