Rodez is a small city and commune in the South of France, about 150 km northeast of Toulouse. It is the prefecture of the department of Aveyron in the region of Occitanie. Rodez is the seat of the Communauté d’agglomération du Grand Rodez, of the First Constituency of Aveyron as well as of the general Council of Aveyron. Former capital of the Rouergue, the city is seat of the Diocese of Rodez and Vabres. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois, from the name of the Ruteni, a Gallic tribe which once occupied the territory, the former demonym of “Rodanois” (from Occitan rodanés) having given way to this scholarly form.

Sights

Places and monuments 

Most of the city’s important buildings are located in what is known as Vieux-Rodez . In addition, many buildings, houses, squares, places of worship, castles are registered and protected by the State. Since February 3, 2012, the Piton Ruthénois has been classified among the “ Grands Sites d’Occitanie  ” . Rodez has also received the Cities and Countries of Art and History label and a steering committee is preparing Rodez’s candidacy for possible UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Religious buildings 

• The Notre-Dame de Rodez cathedral, Place d’Armes, is the main religious building in the department. Burned, damaged over the centuries, the Rodez Cathedral is a condensed remarkable architectural styles of the xiii ^th to xvii ^th  century Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque interior decoration. It has imposing dimensions; the central nave, rather narrow, extends over 102  mlong and has a particularly graceful elevation (30 meters). The building has a superb bell tower, a veritable lacework of pink sandstone, visible from afar, towering 87 meters above the top of the city, making it the tallest flat bell tower in France. 400 steps are to be climbed to reach the statue of the Virgin (located at the top of the bell tower) and the magnificent panorama of the city. At night, it is illuminated from within.
• The former Episcopal Palace of xv ^th  century was between the transept of the present cathedral and the city wall. Paul-Louis-Philippe de Lezay de Lusignan was appointed Bishop of Rodez in 1684. He undertook the construction of the current palace upon his arrival, it will be completed in 1694. The palace was built in the Louis XIII style with a staircase reminiscent of that of the Fontainebleau castle.
• The Church Saint-Amans, rue de la Madeleine, was built in the xii ^th  century , it was completely rebuilt from 1758 to 1761 with the materials recovered from the old building. The exterior is Baroque in style but the interior has retained the purity of the Romanesque. The dome was decorated in xviii ^th  century by Salinier. Tapestries of the vi ^th  century adorn the choir, representing the miracles of Saint Amans. It retains a pieta of the xv ^th  century , a statue of the Trinity ( xvi ^th  century ) and a reliquary casket in Limoges enamel.
• The Church of the Sacred Heart, avenue Tarayre, whose construction was inspired by the Abbey of Sainte-Foy de Conques with notable influences from the large Perigord churches.
• The former Jesuit college , Place Foch, is a collection of historic buildings that make up the Foch high school . This college remain a chapel, a building and a fountain, the fountain Vors of Denys Puech , placed against the outer wall of the vault.

Miscellaneous 

• Gourgan church, boulevard De Lattre.
• The Paraire chapel , rue Paraire, the last vestige of the lunatic asylum of Paraire where the writer and poet Antonin Artaud was interned. It now houses an “Antonin Artaud space”.
• The Notre-Dame-de-la-Pitié chapel, located on Chemin de la Boriette (secluded space in greenery). Property of the Town Hall of Rodez, it was originally part of the Chartreuse ( Haras national de Rodez today). Restored by the Compagnons du Devoir, it is open to the public on sunny afternoons.
• The former seminary chapel, rue des Frères de Turenne (Louis Querbès high school).
• The Joan of Arc chapel, rue Béteille.
• The Saint-Pierre chapel, chemin de Saint-Pierre (Bourran).
• The retirement home chapel, boulevard d’Estroumel.
• The Rodez  mosque , inaugurated in May 2003 and remarkable for its architecture, is located at Avenue Bamberg.
• The reformed temple, avenue Louis Lacombe.
• The Saint-Martin chapel, it was located mid-slope overlooking Layoule. Before 1789 , it served as a Ruthenian parish, and then before World War II , as a garbage dump and playgrounds for children. In ruins since the war, it was completely demolished in 1966 .

Civil buildings

• The hotel was built in the first half of the xviii ^th  century by François Le Normant Ayssènes, adviser to the king and his catcher in the election of Rodez. It now houses the Aveyron prefecture.
• Hotel de Bonald 
• Hôtel du Cheval Noir Hôtel Séguret 
• House of Armagnac 
• Bourgeois houses 

Museums 

Rodez has 3 museums in France  :

• The Fenaille Museum, history and archeology museum with a unique collection of standing stone statues from Rouergue. Its collections also include sculptures from other periods: Antiquity, Middle Ages, Renaissance and modern times.
• The Denys-Puech Museum of Fine Arts , a contemporary art museum in which the sculptures and paintings of Denys Puech are displayed and hosts numerous temporary exhibitions.
• The Soulages Museum , opened on May 31, 2014. A large part of the works of Pierre Soulages and temporary exhibitions of international scope are exhibited there.

Art gallery 

• Sainte-Catherine Gallery
• Galerie Foch, open to all artists
• Woodwork
• Private galleries

Miscellaneous 

• Departmental archives of Aveyron
• Large media library in Rodez, rich in old and current works.
• A Maison des Associations, near the Place du Sacré-Cœur, opened in January 2012. It allows activities of a social, cultural, educational, sporting or environmental nature.

Cultural facilities 

• Center Culturel L’Amphithéâtre offers sports functions with several sports halls for several disciplines (fencing, climbing, badminton, dance, etc.) as well as a large room that can accommodate up to 3,000 people and is flexible for conferences , exhibitions, conferences, debates, colloquiums, shows or even theatrical performances. 
• Maison de la Jeunesse et de la Culture offers possibilities for theater and shows, entertainment, or even congresses and conferences, exhibitions (size of several rooms).
• Salle des Fêtes: Near the Haras and the Paul Lignon stadium, the 2,800 m ² festival hall.
• Palais des Congrès: Boulevard de la République, it responds to an economic vocation for companies and associations thanks to several committee rooms and an amphitheater and exhibition hall.
• Grand-Rodez National Music School: Music, exhibitions, conferences and debates.
• Théâtre du Grand Rodez in Onet le Château , La Baleine: The acoustics are particularly studied for live performances and speech (theater, symphonic music, lyric art). 
• Malan Exhibition Center: An economic and cultural project, located on the edge of the RN88, this place will be flexible in conferences, fairs, shows depending on the events, can offer places of entertainment and catering. It can accommodate up to 3,000 people. 
• Several municipal rooms (municipal campsite, Calcomier, Saint-Eloi, house of associations barn of Vabres and parking Foch) for meetings, activities, events.

Parks and gardens

• Foirail public garden
• Square François Fabié: this small square presents a very extensive point of view over the entire southern part of the Ruthenian country.
• Combelles leisure park. The Combelles leisure park, located in the commune of the Monastery, a few kilometers from the city center, is at the heart of a 120  hectare park. It is a place dedicated to the activities of its equestrian center and the accommodation of its holiday village.Vabre Park offers activities for children with outdoor games. Rodez has an 18-hole golf course located more exactly in the town of Onet-le-Château. Layoule, located on the banks of the Aveyron river, offers a route designed for pedestrians or bicycles. Finally, there is also a guide “Les Belles Balades de l’Aveyron” . The Fairground, where its cultural buildings are integrated, offers a natural setting in the very heart of the city.

Events

• This non-exhaustive list presents the main cultural events and festivities in the city of Rodez:
• In May, the Antonin-Artaud Prize is awardedMuseum night
• Mid-June: fun fair.On June 21, Rodez deploys stages in the four corners of the city on the occasion of the music festival.In July there is a medieval market. Indeed, many costumed craftsmen, actors, jugglers and musicians intervene. During the same period, the Rouergue rallyAlso in July, the Estivada (Languedoc word pronounced , Festival of Occitan , is the showcase of the creation Occitan four days, through music, storytelling, theater, dance, film and usability. This event brings together 35,000 people.EquestrianIn August, the green spaces of Layoule welcome Rodez-Plage. At the beginning of August the international folk festival of Rouergue takes place.At the same time, traveling cinemas roam the city as well as open-air theater shows.End of August: Ramazick festival .At the beginning of September, at the edge of the Aveyron: garage sale, musical aperitif, fishing competition and various activities on the occasion of Vuoto.
• Heritage daysPhotosfoliesIn autumn, old book fair, chocolate fair Amphitheater: a cultural program of shows that attracts more than 15,000 spectators each year with a record occupancy rate of 90% for 6 years. It regularly welcomes large-scale artists 
• In December, a Christmas market and an ice rink are set up throughout the period on Place Foch .
• Amphitheater: a cultural program of shows that attracts more than 15,000 spectators each year with a record occupancy rate of 90% for 6 years. It regularly welcomes large-scale artists