Conques on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela

Conques Frankrijk 14a vakantie Dordogne Lot Aveyron Foy santiago compostela vakantiehuis wandelen be

The medieval village of Conques is included in the list of "Les Plus beaux Villages de France". It is not for nothing that it is called the Pearl of the Lot valley with beautiful half-timbered houses and narrow cobbled streets. Part of the old ramparts and some gates have been preserved. In the small village there are a few shops and restaurants and a number of places of interest, making it worthwhile to visit this village during your holiday in France and stroll around for a few hours. Conques is an important stop on the pilgrimage route towards Santiago de Compostela because of its magnificent abbey and the miracles that are said to have taken place in Conques. In the village there are 2 Unesco monuments: the abbey and the old pilgrimage bridge over the river Dourdou. From the village you have beautiful views over the valley.

Conques, worth a visit during the holidays

The beautiful town of Conques is built on a steep slope in the valley through which the river Le Dourdou flows. Here, the valley of the Dourdou crossesthe valley of the Ouche. Because the slope is quite steep, the narrow streets of Conques look like terraces. When walking on the street, you will look towards the valley and see the roofs of the houses that are built one level below. When you walk from the parking lot towards the church, you will be looking at the "first floor" of the choir because the church is built one level lower. This village of about 400 inhabitants has a long tradition dating back to Roman times. This is also evident from the three fountains in Conques, which are identical and preserved from that period: the Plô fountain, the Barry fountain and the Fumouze fountain, whose water is said to have some exceptional virtues. Château d'Humières has also been in the village for centuries, it was built in the 16th century. Outside the ramparts you can see the old bread ovens. Because of the risk of fire, they were often built outside the village.

In and around Conques

Abbey of Ste. Foy with relics
Medieval half-timbered houses
Plô Fountain
Barry Fountain
Fumouze Fountain
Château d’Humières
Bread ovens
Stunning views

Conques Frankrijk 12a vakantie Dordogne Lot Aveyron Foy santiago compostela vakantiehuis wandelen be

Aveyron, part of Occitania

Conques is located in the Aveyron, just below the Cantal. The Aveyron originally belonged to the Midi-Pyrénées. In 2016, the Midi-Pyrénées and the Languedoc merged to form Occitania. Aveyron is quite a vast department with a lot of natural beauty and small authentic villages that have preserved the atmosphere of earlier times. In addition to Conques, these are villages such as Espalion, Estaing and Laguiole, the village known for the production of special knives. The department also includes the "Grand Causses Regional Nature Park". This is a beautiful nature reserve that is connected to the Cevennes. In this rugged landscape there are plateaus, steep gorges, rocks and rivers where you can go on beautiful walks. The capital of this department is Rodez, a pleasant city with shops, restaurants and terraces.

The Abbey of Conques

Immediately upon arrival in the village you will see the large church building. It belongs to the Abbey of Sainte Foy and built in Romanesque style. The construction of the church began in the eleventh century because there was a need for a proper repository for the relics of Sainte Foy that were kept in Conques. Sainte Foy is a girl who was martyred in Agen in the 4th century and in the 9th century remains of her are said to have been brought to Conques, after which numerous miracles are said to have happened in Conques. Because of these wonders, the number of visitors coming to Conques grew and the fame and popularity of this village increased. Conques' fame peaked in the 11th and 12th centuries, and prosperity kept pace. This can be seen in the 'Church Treasure of Sainte-Foy': a gold treasure that is unique in Europe and can be admired on the abbey grounds.

Conques became an important stop on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The church treasures have been preserved over the years because in times of war or revolution, the inhabitants of Conques took the church treasures into their homes or hid them somewhere. A well-known relic is the gilded reliquary from the 10th century. In the 19th century, the church was restored by Prosper Mérimée, the beautiful windows were designed by Pierre Soulages. Some relics can be seen in the small museum near the abbey. Also visit the Tympanum of the Ste. Foy from the 12th century, the sculpture above the entrance. Here the Last Judgement is depicted. Christ is at the centre with heavenly joy on the right and hellish horrors on the left. On the right you can see the founder and some abbots of the monastery. It is interesting that Bishop Stephen of Clermont is depicted in hell. The story goes that this man, who was also abbot of Conques, used the money intended for Conques for the cathedral in Clermont.

Conques Frankrijk 1 vakantie Dordogne Lot Aveyron santiago compostela vakantiehuis wandelen bergen.j

Conques Frankrijk 10 vakantie Dordogne Lot Aveyron Foy santiago compostela vakantiehuis wandelen ber

Pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela

The famous pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela is also called the Way of St. James or Jacobsweg. It is the pilgrimage route to the tomb of the apostle Jakobus in the Spanish town of Santiago de Compostela. The main route is the French Way, but there are also secondary routes through the Pyrenees. From all countries in Europe, the Way of St. James leads to France and finally Spain. This is a large network of mainly walking routes. An old church book from the 12th century, the Codex Calixtinus, describes the 4 routes a pilgrim can take to Santiago. The routes start in Tours, Vézelay ,Le Puy and St. Gilles du Gard at Arles. The village of Conques lies on the route from Le Puy to Santiago. This route is called the Via Podiensis and starts at the Notre-Dame cathedral of Le Puy because in 951 bishop Godescalc of Le Puy was the first non-Spanish pilgrim to walk to Santiago. The route then goes through the Massif Central to Aubrac, Conques and then to Figeac and Cahors.