After about 200 km of pilgrimage from Le Puy, the destination Conques is reached. The Romanesque cathedral lies impressively before us. We take accommodation in the Accueil Abbaye Sainte Foy, behind the church and were warmly welcomed by the monks.
Conques is situated on a mountain slope. For this photo I had to go down into the valley and up again on the other side! But the condition is not bad after so much hiking.
The cathedral of Conques
The Romanesque Eglise Sainte Foy was built in the 11th and 12th centuries. The church has two floors. The interior is simple as in all Romanesque churches. On the capitals of the columns you will discover interesting representations and decorations.
The apse with the side chapels
A view into the interior of the high church
Every evening, the lighting and atmosphere inside the church changes to the sounds of the organ. Even the milky windows from 1994 take on different colours.
All the pilgrims who stayed in the Abbaye practiced the song
for the evening pilgrims' mass. After the service there was a concert in the dark church. Hans and I stood on the gallery by the organ and was allowed to sing some songs.
Romanesque sculptures decorate the capitals and walls.
The Annunciation: The Virgin shows her open hand as a sign of acceptance, whatever will happen.
The cloister
The photos give the impression that the Romanesque cloister is complete. But there is only a quarter and a few arches left.
The medieval townscape of Conques is uniformly preserved and the visitor imagines himself to be in a different time period. Here are a few
Impressions of Conques
The Tympanum
The tympanum of the Last Judgement, originally coloured, is one of the most important works of Romanesque sculpture. On the right is a wild and imaginative depiction of hell, while on the left the saints are standing in a well-behaved row.
The gate of hell
Here a soul is weighed.
Saint Faith is touched by the hand of God. Behind her are the chains of the Christians freed by her.
For this photo of Conques I had to go down into the valley and climb up the opposite slope. But after so much pilgrimage you are fit.
Saint Faith
The Romanesque statue of Saint Faith
It is located in the small museum by the church.
Fides (Faith) was 13 years old when, according to legend, she was martyred on a red-hot grate and beheaded under Maximinian Herculaeus around 307 for her steadfast confession of faith.
Her relics were transferred from Agen to Conques around 860 (in fact they were stolen) where Fides is venerated as Saint Faith.
In 1094 parts of the relics were transferred to Sélestat in Alsace. There Hildegard von Büren, the widow of a Hohenstaufen, founded a priory of St. Fides (Saint Faith) with the help of the monks of Conques.
Other parts of the relics were brought to St. Gallen and Alsace in Switzerland.
Interesting facts about
and the places of her worship
This is where the pilgrimage route leads out of the town. We bid farewell to Henrike, Christoph and Jutta, who continue their pilgrimage while we stay in Conques for another day.
previous stage
Le Puy - Conques
Conques - Decazeville
To the "Romanesque pages"
