It was in this iconic house in the history of Septfonds that Raymond Peyrières—a beret manufacturer and sales representative—lived. A communist Resistance fighter, he was arrested in 1941 alongside other local residents, and subsequently deported to Dachau. Located on a street whose name serves as a reminder of the deportees’ fate, this stone house was acquired by the municipality to turn it into a place of heritage, memory, and transmission.

emergence Straw Hat making and the emergence of flourishing industry: What began as traditional craftsmanship grew into a thriving industry, exporting hats across the globe. By the late 19th century, hat-making was considered the department’s primary industry, establishing the region as one of France’s top three hat-making centers.

Aviation and the Journey of Dieudonné Costes: Born in Septfonds, this decorated World War I flying ace and aviation pioneer rose to fame in 1930 for making the first non-stop transatlantic flight from Paris to New York aboard the Point d’Interrogation.

1939-1946, the Judes camp and the policy of interning foreigners who were considered to be undesirable: Opened in 1939, the camp was initially used to inter refugees fleeing the Spanish Civil War. Under the Vichy regime, it became an internment site for foreign Jews prior to their deportation to Nazi extermination camps. The Judes Camp remained open until the end of World War II before being dismantled. La Mounière – House of Memories of the Town of Septfonds is part of the Network of Shoah Memory Sites in France, coordinated by the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris. To delve deeper into the history surrounding the camp, visitors can continue to the Camp Memorial (located on the outskirts of the village)—officially recognized as a place of democratic memory by the Spanish government—as well as other memory sites across the municipality, notably the Spanish Cemetery, the only cemetery in France containing the graves of Spanish Republicans who died in the camp hospital.

Two promenades have been devised to help visitors understand the history of Septfonds: the first focuses on the architecture shaped by the hat making industry, while the other takes in remembrance sites related to the conflicts of the 20th century.

The beautiful houses made of Septfonds stone from nearby quarries or from bricks, bear witness to the wealth of the hat makers who made their fortunes in the 19 th and 20th centuries. They now proudly represent the emblematic heritage of the original hat making town centre, This walk can be completed by a visit to Caussade, another hat making town with a common history.

The refugees arrived at the Borredon railway station and walked 8km to the Judes internment camp. The promenade also takes in the Spanish cemetery, a memorial to deported Jews, a Polish oratory, the war memorial and the commune’s cemetery. These remembrance promenades are enriched by historical places and works of art reflecting the supportive reaction of the inhabitants and their institutions – church, municipality – towards the refugees.

All the panels, multimedia content and the digital application “Septfonds, a camp, memories” are translated into Spanish and English.