Conques
Le tympan de l'Abbatiale de Ste Foy, CRT Occitanie_Patrice THEBAULT
Conques 2, CRT Occitanie_Dominique VIET
Conques
Conques has been around since 1000AD and thrives in a winning combination of blue grey shale, ochre limestone, roses, wisteria and half-timbered buildings. Take your time wandering around the village's honest and subtle colours and seek out the legacy of Roman Art builders: from the famous Sainte-Foy Abbey to the Pilgrim's Bridge over the Dourdou. Both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage as part of the Santiago de Compostela routes.
Conques
Visit Conques #GrandSiteOccitanie and discover its charming villages and colourful countryside. See the top tips for visitors recommended by local, Michelin-starred Chef, Hervé Busset.
Well worth a visit
Visit the abbey at night from May to October during Conques Late Nights. Glittering lights and musical magic under the stained glass or at the top of the stalls.
The abbey was built in the 11th century on the foundations of a former hermitage. It is famous for the relics of Sainte-Foy, a young Christian martyr from Agen. Before you go into the abbey be sure to look at the Last Judgement tympanum and its 124 characters: a Roman Art masterpiece. Inside, the classic contemporary stained glass designed in 1990 by the painter Pierre Soulages (104 in total) highlight the abbey's architecture and underline its spiritual power.
Sainte-Foy abbey
Quotation
"I was 14 when I realised that art was the only thing I was interested in life and that was in front of Conques Abbey. Conques is where I felt my first artistic emotions" - Pierre Soulages, painter born in Rodez in 1919.
See the Treasure of Conques for yourself in the abbey cloister's south wing. It is one of 5 great medieval gold treasures and the only one in France to include so many items from the Early Middle Ages. This priceless collection of reliquary treasures is dominated by the statue of her Majesty Sainte-Foy. It is the last example of a reliquary statue from the 9th-10th century and covered in gold, gemstones and enamels.
Golden statue of Sainte-Foy
Worth the detour
Explore Marcillac Valley and its AOP wines. A wine route snakes through the hillsides from cellar to estate. Tasting sessions every Sunday at Marcillac market!
Pilgrims in Conques
Conques Abbey hasn't stopped welcoming pilgrims from all over Christian Europe to worship the Sainte-Foy relics since the abbey was founded. Nowadays you'll meet Conques walkers and pilgrims on the Puy trail whose melting pot gives the village its unrivalled buzz. You too can hike the GR®65 or spend an afternoon on the loop leading to Sainte-Foy Chapel: stunning views of the natural cirque whose lush nature is where Conques calls home.
Travel by train and bus
Discover Conques with the Occitanie Rail Tour, on the Cathedrals line from Toulouse to Rodez. In Rodez, take the 223 liO bus service to go to Conques.
Our suggestions
Regional Committee for Tourism and Leisure Occitanie
Others websites
How to get there?
Conques is in northern Occitania 40km from Rodez.
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