Conques

In a region of beautiful villages, Conques is one of the most divine. Initially a refuge for a hermit named Dadon, at the end of the 8th century, word got around, and he was joined by several companions. Together they adopted the order of Saint-Benoit, and thus were generously treated by Charlemagne and the Carolingian kings. Rue Charles le Grand is named after one of them. The initial prosperity of the village waned, to the dismay of the monks, who decided to do something about it. In order to put their village on the pilgrimage map, they arranged to steal some religious relics from the Agen monastery. The thief had to spend 10 years in the monastery, among the monks, before getting the opportunity to steal the relics.

Suddenly, Conques was on the Compostella pilgrims’ trail, and an abbey was built. It was burned by the Protestants in the 16th century, and it was not until Prosper Mérimée, the government inspector of historic monuments, put the ruins of the abbey on the “classified” list, that anything was done.

Restoration work was undertaken. The magnificent façade with its 124 different characters, with Jesus Christ at the centre, is especially beautiful.The church also contains an extensive collection of religious paraphernalia.