On the Highroad to Santiago de Compostela

On a rainy Sunday afternoon we ate at a mediocre fast-food chain called“Flunch” because it was the only place we found open. At least it had WiFi so that #4 could reserve rooms at a pricey 3-star hotel in Capdenac Gare. We justified the costs of the excellent meals & sumptuously modern rooms by telling ourselves that we had braved the rains, eaten poorly, driven long and hard, & we needed a bit of pampering. As it turned out, we would surely use our “recharged batteries” for some serious touring.

Conques is still medieval: no cars.

We had to go off the beaten track to find Conques, a well-preserved medieval town in the mountains. Now at one time, the 10th through 13th centuries, it was very much on the beaten track as a major stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de  Compostela in Spain.

The stolen relics of Sainte Foy made it possible to build this massive romanesque church.

Un peu d’histoire...

Pilgrim roads of the distant past were the super highways of today. Since pilgrims traveled on foot, these roads were neither practical nor speedy. These “roads” were formed by holy destinations, churches & cathedrals, which contained saints’ relics. The towns and cities of these holy destinations catered to pilgrims in much the same way as to tourists of the present day.

This is part of the cloister. To the right is the convent where the relics are now kept.

As it happened, Conques (pronounced "konk") began as a secluded, poor, medieval mountain burg with a church but no relics. Not content to be left out of the pilgrimage traffic the Conques clergy tried several times to obtain few relics by proper negotiation. They were always turned down. At last a monk was sent to Agen. His mission: to get some relics. Beg, borrow, or steal! It took him ten years to gain the confidence of Agen’s clerics, but he was patient and at last they trusted him. As soon as they let down their guard, the devious monk absconded with a scull bone of Sainte Foy, she who could deliver believers from their chains, physical or spiritual. It was a commercial ploy to veer the pilgrims to Conques and away from Agen.  

The Front Portal - Heaven on the left; Hell on the right. To which side was the monk sent? 

From 900 to 1000, with the money that began to pour into Conques, the monks were able to build a magnificent Abbaye and adjacent convent. This edifice is one of the best examples of romanesque architecture having escaped the usual types of destruction down through the ages: Hundred Years War, wars of religion, French Revolution, etc. 

Notice that romanesque architecture uses rounded arches, smaller windows, and natural light.  No stain glass.

Now, a bit more on Sainte Foy who could break chains…

Being a pilgrim was a dangerous proposition. Many times while on the highroad, brigands would capture them. After they mugged them, they wouldn’t kill them, but they would shackle them, sequester them, and demand exorbitant ransoms. When they escaped to safety Sainte Foy was credited with “breaking their chains.” These captives knew exactly what to do with these heavy, iron shackles; they would take them to L’Abbaye de Conques where they would donate them to the glory of Sainte Foy. These shackles were then melted down and became part of an interior grill of wrought iron encircling the apse. This ambulatory made it possible for masses and other rites to proceed without being disturbed by visiting pilgrims.

Only a section of the ambulatoire. Imagine how many people were abducted for ransoms & miraculously escaped!

JJ as chief navigator read his trusty paper maps, while we wandered around in the misty mountains until we found our next destination, the fortified town of Cordes-sur-Ciel.  

Entrance to the bastide  

Tired of driving & only a little hungry, we consoled ourselves with big ice cream cones on the square while waiting for a little train that took us to further up the mountain to the original fortified city. France’s first bastide* was  built by the  infamous (but thoughtful & generous!) Comte de Toulouse for relocating nearby populations left homeless by the Cathare Crusade.** Is that where the expression comes from, “Head for the mountain!”? 

You can see why Cordes added "sur ciel" (on the sky) to its name.

In the 1950's Cordes sur Ciel began to attract writers, painters, and craftmen of high art, i.e., etching and woodcarving.  The town has been able to escape commercialism of kitschy souvenirs sold in most tourist destinations. 

We ran for cover from a serious rain storm (see photo above) in this old-style open market in center town. All around the square are boutiques with original artworks, antique books and artist designed jewelry and accessories. On this day 2 restaurants were vying for table space.

*Bastides were "new" cities on a grid plan. They were usually built on hills easy to defend. They were used  to relocate populations devastated by wars & to protect vulnerable borders. The greatest number of fortified cities are found along the old British (Aquitaine) and French border, the Dordogne river. They were  constructed during the Hundred Years War.

**See previous post.