{"id":1469,"date":"2021-01-11T11:15:03","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T10:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/?page_id=1469"},"modified":"2021-07-15T09:48:52","modified_gmt":"2021-07-15T07:48:52","slug":"cocagne","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/","title":{"rendered":"Pays de Cocagne"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Pays de Cocagne is teeming with marvels. Experience chills in the medieval underground galleries of Saint-Sulpice, admiration at Cath\u00e9drale Saint Alain and its Jacquemart in Lavaur, mystery at the Vauban arch in Les Cammazes, serenity in Dourgne and its abbeys, a medieval ambiance in Lautrec, emotion at the Abbaye-\u00c9cole of Sor\u00e8ze\u2026 land of Cockaigne, land of abundance..<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does the phrase \u201cland of plenty<\/strong>\u201d mean to you?
A fantastical land of profusion and abundance, a source of inspiration for artists through the centuries?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re certainly not far from the truth. But the Pays de Cocagne actually owes its name to the \u201ccocagnes\u201d, small balls formed during the processing of pastel to dry out the leaves and draw out the dye: the famous \u201cpastel blue\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Land of Rainbows<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yellow flowers, blue powder, pink flavours\u2026 Rainbows are a delight and a marvel, at any age! From Les Cammazes to Saint-Sulpice, from Lautrec to Lavaur, you will feel simple joy as you gaze at a hill of flowers with a view of the Pyrenees, a wall of pink bricks or a house with blue shutters. The spirit of the South West is found here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  • \"La
    Lavaur<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
  • \"balade
    Les Cammazes<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>
  • \"Le
    Lautrec<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Pink like Garlic from Lautrec<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The only produce to be accorded the famous Label Rouge<\/strong>! Its subtle flavour is much appreciated by the region\u2019s chefs. This pink garlic has been found here since the Middle Ages; it is grouped into clusters known as \u201cmanouilles<\/strong>\u201c, not plaited, as the stalk is rigid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Yellow, Pea Green\u2026 Blue like Pastel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    This pastel blue, this \u201cperfect blue\u201d, was the \u201cBlue Gold<\/strong>\u201d that brought wealth to the region. A meadow of Isatis Tinctoria<\/strong> is magnificently yellow; the large green leaves are crushed and placed to dry in balls, the famous \u201ccocagnes<\/strong>\u201c. After fermentation, they produce \u201cagranat\u201d, a blackish grainy paste. The powdered pigment<\/strong> is then used to produce the inimitable pastel blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Red like Saffron<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Red Gold is saffron<\/strong>! The cultivation of saffron flourished in the region from the Middle Ages until the 18th century. Like pastel<\/strong>, it was a major economic resource.
    Today, each autumn, a mysterious mauve flower appears, from which 3 red filaments are extracted: the saffron. These flowers are grown in several regions around the world including the Tarn.
    The dried red pistils from the Crocus Sativus are very popular among great chefs and food lovers for the strength of their aroma.
    This is the most expensive spice<\/strong> in the world! It takes around 200 flowers to obtain one gram!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    • \"Pastel<\/figure><\/li>
    • \"safran<\/figure><\/li>
    • \"Ail<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      Unmissable treasures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      In the 15th and 16th centuries, the region was a hub of intense economic activity<\/strong>: the blue gold<\/strong>! The blue extract from the plant Isatis Tinctoria<\/strong>, grown in the Tarn and elsewhere for the inimitable quality of its blue colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In the \u201cGold Triangle<\/strong>\u201d of Toulouse-Albi-Carcassonne, the cultivation of pastel<\/strong> brought wealth to pastel merchants who traded throughout Europe. The towns and surrounding countryside are populated with houses of red bricks and white stones, mansions, churches and dovecotes. Today this unique heritage provides evidence of this colourful era!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      • Follow the trails and discover all the different types of dovecotes.<\/li>
      • Climb the medieval streets of Lautrec and visit the windmill.<\/li>
      • Descend to the underground galleries at Saint-Sulpice, the remains of a troubled age.<\/li>
      • Admire the half-timbered houses and ancient doors in Lavaur.<\/li>
      • Dive into the adventure of the Canal du Midi and Pierre-Paul Riquet in Les Cammazes.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Sor\u00e8ze is classified as a Grand Site d\u2019Occitanie, a \u201cmajor site\u201d of Occitanie. The Abbaye-\u00c9cole of Sor\u00e8ze<\/strong> is listed as a historic monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The Vauban arch at Les Cammazes<\/strong>, constructed by Pierre-Paul Riquet, is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage register as part of the Canal du Midi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        This is an extraordinary land of milk and honey to be explored from top to bottom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Le pays de cocagne regorge de merveilles. Frissons dans le souterrain m\u00e9di\u00e9val de Saint-Sulpice, respect devant la cath\u00e9drale Saint Alain et son Jacquemart \u00e0 Lavaur, myst\u00e8res sous la vo\u00fbte de Vauban aux Cammazes, s\u00e9r\u00e9nit\u00e9 \u00e0 Dourgne et ses abbayes, ambiance m\u00e9di\u00e9vale \u00e0 Lautrec, \u00e9motion \u00e0 l\u2019abbaye-\u00e9cole de Sor\u00e8ze\u2026 Pays de cocagne, pays d’abondance…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1487,"parent":109,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"226242,238013,238134,225955,238034,238157","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"tourism-affinity":[],"yoast_head":"\nPays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EN : Tourism tarn\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-07-15T07:48:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/\",\"name\":\"Pays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-11T10:15:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-07-15T07:48:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"visite pays de cocagne tarn\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Discover the Tarn\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Areas\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"Pays de Cocagne\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/\",\"name\":\"EN : Tourism tarn\",\"description\":\"Ideas and inspirations for your holidays in the Tarn\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Pays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn","description":"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Pays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn","og_description":"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/","og_site_name":"EN : Tourism tarn","article_modified_time":"2021-07-15T07:48:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/","url":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/","name":"Pays de Cocagne - EN : Tourism tarn","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg","datePublished":"2021-01-11T10:15:03+00:00","dateModified":"2021-07-15T07:48:52+00:00","description":"Visit the Pays de Cocagne and learn more about pastel in the Tarn.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2016\/10\/lautrec\u00a9PascaleWalter-CDTTarn-4.jpg","width":900,"height":600,"caption":"visite pays de cocagne tarn"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/cocagne\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Discover the Tarn","item":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Areas","item":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/discover-the-tarn\/areas\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Pays de Cocagne"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/","name":"EN : Tourism tarn","description":"Ideas and inspirations for your holidays in the Tarn","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1469"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1469"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":301194,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1469\/revisions\/301194"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"tourism-affinity","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tourisme-tarn.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tourism-affinity?post=1469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}