Gerberoy in Picardy – the smallest town in France

The pickled-in-the-past, photogenic village of Gerberoy in Picardy may be the smallest town in France, but it makes a big impression.

Tucked away on the southern edge of the Oise department in Picardy, almost on the border with neighbouring Normandy, Gerberoy claims to be the ‘smallest town in France’ – a title it was granted in 1202 by King Philip Augustus. It’s also officially one of the prettiest villages of France (Plus Beaux Villages listed) and a ‘ville de roses.’

It may not take long to walk its cobbled streets but there is much to make you linger longer.

The rue du Logis du-Roy – which takes its name from a former inn where King Henri IV stayed in 1592 – is the main entrance to the fortified town which spirals around a hilltop location with magnificent views over the surrounding countryside. The origin of the name of Gerberoy isn’t known, but it’s thought to come from the old French word ‘gerber’ meaning to gather into a sheaf – the town’s Coat of Arms features three gold sheaves of wheat – though it was briefly renamed Gerbe-la-Montagne during the French Revolution when any names associated with hated royals (roy meaning king) were ‘cancelled.’

The village’s position made it a popular target – including from the Vikings who came up the Seine River on raids in the 10th century, and even after, when they were granted neighbouring Normandy as a settlement. William the Conqueror laid siege to the town in 1078 and lost to his own son William Rufus. And it was fought over during the 100 Years War – the English were defeated here on May 9, 1453, against a French army led by two former companions of Joan of Arc who had been executed four years earlier in nearby Rouen. Pillaged many times over, its castle destroyed, and with a population decimated by plague, Gerberoy went into decline and disappeared from history in the 17th century. And there it stayed until a famous artist arrived and changed Gerberoy’s fortunes.

What to see in Gerberoy

Colourful Norman-style timber-framed 17th and 18th century houses line the cobbled streets, one of the most famous being the ‘blue house’ next to a towered gate that led to the former castle. Dating to 1691, the postcard-pretty house has always been painted blue using dye made from woad which was grown in abundance in Picardy in the Middle Ages.

Narrow alleyways festooned with flowers and dotted with tea rooms, artists galleries, cafés and restaurants snake their way round the village. The 17th century market halls and landmark historical stone-built covered wells are superbly preserved, and the collegiate church of Saint-Pierre, rebuilt in the 15th century after being burned down by the English, and whose walls are hung with Aubusson tapestries, is well worth a visit.

But the town’s big claim to fame is the former home and glorious gardens of renowned post-Impressionist painter Henri Le Sidaner (1862-1939), who fell under Gerberoy’s spell when he visited in 1901 and soon-after, longing to live a country life, bought a beautiful house there when his friend, the sculptor August Rodin, urged him to follow his dreams. Then, as now, it looked as if nothing had changed for hundreds of years. Sidaner painted the tranquil beauty of the village over and over and created stunning terraced gardens over the ruins of the castle, which became a source of inspiration for his art, just as his contemporary, Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny (around 40 miles away) had become his muse. You can visit the gardens today and peep into the artist’s studio, but the house is closed to the public, still lived in by the artist’s descendants. Lesjardinshenrilesidanier.com

Sidaner proposed to the residents that everyone should plant climbing roses and they loved his idea. Eventually the town council passed an official decree which required everyone to grow roses! In 1928, the first Fête des Roses was held, and it has taken place every year since, on the third Sunday of June, bringing thousands of visitors to this tiny town. There are now thousands of rose bushes climbing up walls, draped over fences and fringing windows throughout the town, as well as hydrangeas, hollyhocks and country garden favourites sprouting from the roadsides.

“I will probably still think on the last day when I disappear, of the humblest dwelling in Gerberoy, where clumsy fingers come to hang on the window shutters the single flowering stem that a cluster of roses will have weighed down…” – Henri Le Sidaner

Le Jardin d’Ifs

A short stroll away lies the Jardin des Ifs, which became a Jardin Remarquable in 2016 in recognition of its rare collection of yew trees. These 18th-century symmetrical gardens are decorated with topiary of various shapes and sizes including one 350-year-old shaped tree (the oldest topiary in France), and so large several people can stand inside it. It also has a pretty vegetable garden and roses of all kinds.

Take a tour and stop for a meal at the restaurant in the former Governor’s house with its ancient dining room, and don’t miss a chance to taste the Gerberoy macarons made by the chef who was inspired by a 13th century recipe. They’re rose flavoured of course, and taste of a sunny day in June in this most pretty village. lejardindesifs.com

With only about a hundred inhabitants, Gerberoy can seem a little sleepy during the week (except when the rose festival is on), but this makes it even more magical. There are no traffic lights, no telephone poles or electric wires overhead – the town protects its heritage.

Practical info: Parking within the village is prohibited during the peak season months, there is a free car park just a few steps from the town, past a duck pond where the residents will applaud your entry!

Janine Marsh is an author and Editor of The Good Life France magazine and website.

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