Walking the Camino de Santiago
Of course, I had to visit the church of Notre Dame du Puy de Figeac. Having started my Camino in the town of Le Puy, I had developed a devotion to Our Lady of Le Puy. I wasn’t wild about climbing all those stairs after walking almost 26km earlier in the day. The church was founded in the 8th century […]
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After sitting for my portrait, I took this photo of La place des Écritures. As I mentioned the other day, Jean-François Champollion was a native of Figeac. He famously cracked the code on the Rosetta Stone and successfully translated Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time. There’s a museum here dedicated to him and his work, and there is also La place des […]
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After praying Vespers in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in Saint-Sauveur, I ran down to La place des Écritures. A bit of background is probably an order. Jean-François Champollion was a native of Figeac. He famously cracked the code on the Rosetta Stone and successfully translated Egyptian hieroglyphics for the first time. There’s a museum here dedicated to him and his work, […]
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Finally, we come to the crypt chapel set aside for the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament. It was not majesty here but intimacy. Every inch of the chapel is decorated – and I know some might say over-decorated – to the glory of Christ in the Eucharist. I could feel the presence of Jesus close to me. Great carved and […]
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This is the third entry in exploring the various side chapels of Saint-Sauveur church in Figeac. This little chapel of Saint Joseph is the first where you can see some of the church’s magnificent stained glass. The warm glow that fills the church as the sunlight filters through these windows can be seen here most specifically around the statue of […]
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More exploring Saint-Sauveur church. Here is another of the numerous side chapels, this one dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I lost track of how many side chapels and shrines are in this magnificent Gothic achievement. The altars at the side chapels appear to come from many different architectural phases and refurbishments. The whole place was overwhelming, but it […]
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I spent some time exploring the vast interior of Saint-Sauveur. The place had numerous side chapels, including this beautiful one dedicated to Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. This was originally designed as a pilgrimage church, similar in size and scope to others along the Camino – such as those in Le Puy and Cahors – where various routes converged. […]
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The interior of the abbey church of Saint-Sauveur has undergone numerous restorations and rebuilding over the centuries. Indeed, the vaulting we see here was only added in 1830. Then, in 1917, the dome of the crossing collapsed, bringing down the vault of the eastern bay of the nave and that of the first bay of the north arm of the […]
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The abbey church of Saint-Sauveur has a long and troubled history. The abbey was founded in 838 by King Pepin I of Aquitaine at the request of the Abbey of Sainte-Foy of Conques. The two abbeys were independent but had a common abbot. The monks of Figeac could not stand this authority of the Abbey of Conques, and they were […]
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Figeac is an ancient settlement; that much is clear. Exactly when this area was first settled is a bit of a mystery. Evidence of humans here dates as far back as the Middle Neolithic. The Gauls had settlements in the area, if not exactly on this site. A Roman road crossed the river here, but evidence for permanent habitation is […]
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