The Abbey of Conques

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Rising up from the faith, minds and hands of monks during the 10th -12th centuries, Conques is a classic example of Romanesque art, and was a major staging post on the Saint Jacques pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain. Its importance was largely due to the remains of Sainte Foy, brought here from Agen in 866, is a classic example of Romanesque art. The Abbey, with its famous tympanum of the final judgement, and its cloisters, boasts two of the most beautiful masterpieces of medieval, ornamental sculpture.

For over 12 centuries, Conques has been able to protect a fabulous treasure of works in gold, its centrepiece being the reliquary statue of Sainte Foy, without doubt a masterpiece unique in the west. With its narrow streets and old half-timbered houses tiled in lauzes, the village of Conques retains its millennial purity.

Two exhibition rooms are open to visitors, presenting the famous reliquary statue of Sainte Foy, a statue made of gold encrusted with precious stones donated by pilgrims, as well as a large number of examples of the medieval goldsmiths art, plus tapestries and headstones of the old cloisters...

Every summer during July and August, Conques puts on a series of concerts in the Romanesque Abbey. This is a meeting of traditional and contemporary culture, a festival offering a wide ranging programme from medieval music to contemporary compositions. The music is enhanced by the exceptional acoustics of the abbey, illuminated by the windows designed by Pierre Soulages.
Annual Film festival: the programme includes a selection of some twenty films. Initially orientated towards representations of the Middle Ages in the cinema, the event now focuses on the theme of animated films aimed at youngsters. It is held at the Centre d'Art et de Civilisation Médiévale.