Walking the Camino de Santiago
This sign hangs at the head of the refectory in Conques Abbey. The words are those of the chorus of a medieval pilgrimage song, attested to in the very first guidebook to the Camino, the Codex Calixtinus, written sometime in the 12th Century. The language itself is extinct, though it is related to both modern Catalan and Occitan. Despite this, […]
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The pilgrims staying at the abbey were served dinner in the old refectory. I’m given to understand that the friars eat elsewhere now. It’s a lovely space; as you can see, there are quite a few pilgrims and hikers here. I suspect that’s because the route from Le Puy to Conques is widely considered France’s most beautiful hiking trail. After […]
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The quickest way to start an argument amongst pilgrims or on a Camino Forum is to pronounce your opinion on one of two hot-button issues: footwear and rain gear. So, of course, I thought I’d tackle one of those today. The usual caveats apply – every human is different, has different preferences, and different body types. My solution may not be […]
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The tympanum of the abbey church at Conques contains one of the most beautiful – and fearsome – depictions of the Last Judgement I’ve ever seen. It has been called “one of the fundamental works of Romanesque sculpture due to its artistic qualities, its originality, and its dimensions”. Everything, in fact, is arranged around the central figure of Christ towards […]
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During and immediately after the French Revolution, most of the church buildings and virtually all of the treasures of the church throughout France were plundered by the new government. In Conques, however, where the faith still ran deep, the villagers themselves “looted” the abbey treasury and stored the various items in their cellars and barns until the government agents left […]
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On to the museum! This medieval reliquary is called La Majesté de Sainte-Foy. The saint’s skull was housed here from Carolingian times. These days, her relics are kept in a shrine in the abbey church, but they are put back here on the saint’s feast (October 6) when the reliquary is paraded through the town in solemn procession. Built of […]
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It seems appropriate for Christmas Eve to post a photo about anticipation and waiting! In Conques, I stayed at the abbey’s gîte. As we waited for our turn to sign in, we congregated in this little courtyard. You can see the bags of those waiting, and if you’ve got an eagle eye, you might spot my bag, hat, and sticks. […]
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After taking my leave of Ávila, I continued to explore the beautiful medieval village of Conques. You could see the abbey church from basically everywhere, and the streets were full of locals, pilgrims, hikers, and tourists. By this point, I was looking for a more substantial lunch, so as I wandered about, I kept an eye open for a likely […]
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I tried to find a decent vantage point to photograph the façade of the abbey church of Sainte-Foy de Conques. The little square in front, the Place du Parvis, is too narrow to get a good shot, so I backed up into a street. The building directly behind the church is the abbey itself, and I would be staying in […]
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We spent several hours exploring the medieval village of Conques. This included a walk around the great abbey church. Like many medieval constructions, there is ample evidence of additions, changes, and restorations. In fact, the church is under restoration right now. You can see some of the scaffolding on the right. It somehow reminded me of a quote by G.K. […]
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