La Perriere is a village of 220 people built on a rocky spur above the Perche countryside. Roussard stone walls, narrow cobbled lanes, a church that used to be a castle chapel. For most of the year it is very quiet. Then Pentecost weekend arrives and the whole place turns into an open-air gallery.
La Perriere fete l'Art has been running for over 25 years. The format is simple and it works: residents open their homes, courtyards and gardens to contemporary artists, who exhibit original work in the spaces where people actually live. No convention centre, no white walls, no lanyard. You walk through someone's front door, past their kitchen, and find a sculptor's installation in the back garden.
What to expect
Around 80 artists show work across the village. Painting, sculpture, photography, visual arts and craft. Everything is original, one-of-a-kind work. The exhibition spills beyond the village proper into the Jardins de Montperthuis, the Moulin du Chene and the Manoir de Soisay.
There are live concerts across the three days, food in the communal field and the salle des fetes, and a sculpture trail that continues into the landscape. Local schoolchildren contribute a collaborative piece. It is a proper village event, not a trade fair.
Practical details
When: Pentecost weekend, Saturday to Monday. In 2026 that is May 23-25.
Hours: Roughly 11h to 18h30. Three full days, Saturday through Monday.
Admission: Free.
Where: La Perriere, now administratively part of Belforet-en-Perche. About 8 km from Belleme.
Parking: The village is small and sits on a hill. Arrive early or be prepared to walk uphill. The gradient into the village is around 10%.
The village itself
Even without the art weekend, La Perriere is worth a visit. It holds the Petite Cite de Caractere label and has been used as a film location for Madame Bovary (2014) and Normandie Nue (2018). The buildings are roussard stone, a local ferruginous sandstone that gives everything a warm reddish-brown colour.
Walk to the Eperon at the edge of the village for a panoramic view over Le Perche and the Sarthe valley. The Logis de l'Eveque, a 1636 building with twin turrets, has been listed as a Historic Monument since 1995. The Chateau de Monthimer has a flamboyant Gothic doorway dated 1506.
A new addition: the Musee du Filet brode et perle opened in April 2024, dedicated to La Perriere's beaded lace tradition. Between 1850 and 1950, the village was a centre for this craft. Three local factories employed around 2,000 workers, and the lace was used by Paul Poiret and Coco Chanel. It is a small museum but a good one, and it fills in a piece of local history most visitors know nothing about.
While you are there
If the art weekend coincides with good weather, combine it with a walk in the Foret de Belleme, which starts just a few kilometres away. The Thursday market in Belleme is worth rearranging your week for. And if you want to eat well nearby, the Relais Saint Louis in Belleme or La Planque en Perche in Bellou-le-Trichard are both solid.
The other big La Perriere event is the Fete du Rosaire on the first Sunday of October, a village-wide brocante that fills the streets. Different mood, same good village.