Roquefort-sur-Soulzon

Roquefort-sur-Soulzon is a village in the Aveyron, overlooking the narrow Soulzon valley below the northern flank of the Combalou, where the collapse of the limestone plateau formed natural caves and fissures known as fleurines. It gives its name to Roquefort, a sheep’s-milk blue cheese, and under EU law only cheeses aged in the Combalou caves may carry the name. In 1411 Charles VI protected local production, in 1666 the Parlement of Toulouse recognised the sole right of the villagers to mature cheese in the caves, and a law of 26 July 1925 guaranteed its appellation. In France it is often called the king of cheeses.