Did you know?
Revel, a typical bastide
Revel was founded in 1342 by King Philippe VI, and ti is an outstanding example of medieval town planning with its gri pattern of streets leading towards the central square with its 14th century covered market (one of the largest in France) and its 19th century bell tower.
The town also boasts a neo-Byzantine church, splendid private mansions, an art-deco public bath house an the former distillery where Pippermint Get 27 was invented in 1796.
The market hall and its bell tower
The bell tower was the symbol of power une the royal bastide of Revel. It rises from the centre of the timber-framed covered market whose roff is held up by seventy-nine oak pillars. From the top of the bell tower, you can enjoy a magnificent view of the town and its surroundings.
The building once fulfilled several roles: council chamber, prison, guardroom and watchtower.
The Museum of Wood and Marquetry
Unique in France
Located in the centre of the town, this museum tells the story of the craftsmen who made Revel intertionally famous due to their skills in transforming wood into furniture and objects of art.
Unique in France, the museum offers an educational, multimedia experience in a lively setting which regularly hosts musical, artistic, cultural and festive events.
Temporary exhibitions turn the spotlight on a range of contemporary creative arts.
Jean Paul Calvet
Revel History Society
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The market hall
A centre of commerce
02
Notre-Dame des Grâces
An extraordinary transformation
First built soon after Revel was founded, and subsequently destroyed and rebuilt several times, the church now represents a fine example of 19th century neo-Byzantine architecture.
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Las Garlandas
The arcades
Originally, the arcades were covered thoroughfares. On market day, they allowed the vendors to display their wares sheltered from rain and sun.
Looking down from on high?
You can visit the top of the bell tower on Saturday mornings at 11.00, and at other times by prior arrangement. Come and enjoy this wonderful 360o panorama!
Don't forget your shopping basket!
Since its foundation, Revel has had a market. In the beginning, it took place on a Thursday, but now it is held on Saturday mornings.
It is ranked among the hundred most beautiful markets in France and you will find it full of colours and pleasant odours. A host of local producers display their wares beneath the roof of the magnificent market hall.
In 1796 an apothecary from Revel created a distillery where he perfected a crème de menthe. The business was taken over by the Get brothers.
In the mid-19th century they improved the mint-based liqueur still further and created Pippermint Get, a drink which was soon being enjoyed on five continents. In the 1970s, Pippermint Get was renamed Get 27.
The success of the Get brothers encouraged others to copy them, and before long Revel had five distilleries: Get, Raissac, Franck, Imart and Arsaut.
Get 27 was invented in Revel!
And it has left us a heritage which you can see today. When you wander around town, look out for the Get Cultural Centre, the shiny copper stills in a window on the road to Sorèze, and century-old advertising murals painted on the pillars of the western arcade in the market square.