Conques
Encyclopedia
Conques is a commune
in the Aveyron
department in southern France
.
rivers. It is built on a hillside and has classic narrow Medieval streets. As a result, large vehicles (such as buses) cannot enter the historic town centre but must park outside. Consequently, most day visitors enter on foot and, as at least one overnight visitor has observed, the majority of the tourists depart in the late afternoon, leaving the town much less crowded.
The town was largely passed by in the nineteenth century, and was saved from oblivion by the efforts of a small number of dedicated people. As a result, the historic core of the town has very little construction dating from between 1800 and 1950, leaving the medieval structures remarkably intact. The roads have been paved, and modern-day utility lines are buried.
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The Sainte-Foy abbey
-church in Conques was a popular stop for pilgrim
s on their way
to Santiago de Compostela
, in what is now Spain
. Its construction was begun on the foundations of a smaller earlier basilica
, directed by the abbot Odolric (1031–1065) and completed around the year 1120. It was built in Romanesque style
, using a warm-colored local limestone
infilled with a local gray schist
. The daringly large dome that originally covered the crossing
later collapsed and was replaced in the 15th century..
The main draw for medieval pilgrims at Conques were the remains of Sainte Foy
, a martyr
ed young woman from the fourth century. Her name has been assimilated into the general conception of 'Holy Faith.' In the late 9th century, a monk from Conques allegedly stole these relics from a nearby monastery in order to draw travellers (and wealth) to Conques. The church that was eventually built had a double purpose: to accommodate the flock of pilgrims and at the same time to allow a community of monks to gather for the divine office seven times a day. Thus, Sainte-Foy has been designed like a pilgrimage
shrine but also as an abbey-church. To serve the inhabitants of the town, a separate parish church was erected, dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury. This smaller church is no longer standing.
In the 19th century, the author and antiquary Prosper Mérimée
, appointed the first Inspector of Historical Monuments, inspired thorough restorations.
The Sainte-Foy abbey-church was added to the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in 1998, as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
. Its Romanesque architecture, albeit somewhat updated in places, is displayed in periodic self-guided tour opportunities, especially of the upper level, some of which occur at night with live music and appropriately-adjusted light levels. A particularly interesting aspect of the church is the set of carvings of the "curieux" (the curious ones) who are peeking over the edges of the tympanum
arch.
Image:2003 Conques hermitage IMG 6333.JPG|Conques hermitage
Image:2003 Conques arch IMG 6323.JPG|Entrance gate to Conques - the Port du Barry
Image:2003 Conques vista IMG 6343.JPG|Conques rooftop vista
Image:Conques doorway carving 2003 IMG 6330.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6348.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6349.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6350.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6351.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6352.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6353.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:Conques - panorama.jpg|Conques panorama
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
department in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The village is located at the confluence of the Dourdou and OucheOuche
The Ouche is a river in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. It is a right tributary of the Saône, which it joins in Échenon. Its source is in Lusigny-sur-Ouche. The Ouche flows through the following towns: Bligny-sur-Ouche, La Bussière-sur-Ouche, Fleurey-sur-Ouche, Velars-sur-Ouche, Dijon,...
rivers. It is built on a hillside and has classic narrow Medieval streets. As a result, large vehicles (such as buses) cannot enter the historic town centre but must park outside. Consequently, most day visitors enter on foot and, as at least one overnight visitor has observed, the majority of the tourists depart in the late afternoon, leaving the town much less crowded.
The town was largely passed by in the nineteenth century, and was saved from oblivion by the efforts of a small number of dedicated people. As a result, the historic core of the town has very little construction dating from between 1800 and 1950, leaving the medieval structures remarkably intact. The roads have been paved, and modern-day utility lines are buried.
Sainte-Foy abbey church
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
-church in Conques was a popular stop for pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
s on their way
Way of St. James
The Way of St. James or St. James' Way is the pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried....
to Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
, in what is now Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Its construction was begun on the foundations of a smaller earlier basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
, directed by the abbot Odolric (1031–1065) and completed around the year 1120. It was built in Romanesque style
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
, using a warm-colored local limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
infilled with a local gray schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
. The daringly large dome that originally covered the crossing
Crossing (architecture)
A crossing, in ecclesiastical architecture, is the junction of the four arms of a cruciform church.In a typically oriented church , the crossing gives access to the nave on the west, the transept arms on the north and south, and the choir on the east.The crossing is sometimes surmounted by a tower...
later collapsed and was replaced in the 15th century..
The main draw for medieval pilgrims at Conques were the remains of Sainte Foy
St Faith
Saint Faith is a saint who is said to have been a girl or young woman of Agen in Aquitaine. Her legend recounts how she was arrested during persecution of Christians by the Roman Empire and refused to make pagan sacrifices even under torture. Saint Faith was tortured to death with a red-hot brazier...
, a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
ed young woman from the fourth century. Her name has been assimilated into the general conception of 'Holy Faith.' In the late 9th century, a monk from Conques allegedly stole these relics from a nearby monastery in order to draw travellers (and wealth) to Conques. The church that was eventually built had a double purpose: to accommodate the flock of pilgrims and at the same time to allow a community of monks to gather for the divine office seven times a day. Thus, Sainte-Foy has been designed like a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
shrine but also as an abbey-church. To serve the inhabitants of the town, a separate parish church was erected, dedicated to Saint Thomas of Canterbury. This smaller church is no longer standing.
In the 19th century, the author and antiquary Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée
Prosper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.-Life:...
, appointed the first Inspector of Historical Monuments, inspired thorough restorations.
The Sainte-Foy abbey-church was added to the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites in 1998, as part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France
In 1998, several sites in France were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the description: Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France....
. Its Romanesque architecture, albeit somewhat updated in places, is displayed in periodic self-guided tour opportunities, especially of the upper level, some of which occur at night with live music and appropriately-adjusted light levels. A particularly interesting aspect of the church is the set of carvings of the "curieux" (the curious ones) who are peeking over the edges of the tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
arch.
Population
Media
The late Hannah Green, an accomplished writer, penned a non-fiction work about Conques and the church entitled, "Little Saint".Gallery
Image:2003 Conques hermitage IMG 6333.JPG|Conques hermitage
Image:2003 Conques arch IMG 6323.JPG|Entrance gate to Conques - the Port du Barry
Image:2003 Conques vista IMG 6343.JPG|Conques rooftop vista
Image:Conques doorway carving 2003 IMG 6330.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6348.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6349.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6350.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6351.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6352.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:2003 Conques carving detail IMG 6353.JPG|Abbey-church doorway carving detail
Image:Conques - panorama.jpg|Conques panorama