Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

The original monastery building at Conques was an eighth-century oratory built by monks fleeing the Saracens in Spain. as the arrival of the relics of Sainte-Foy caused the pilgrimage route to shift from Agen to Conques. Galleries were added over the aisle and the roof was raised over the transept and choir to allow people to circulate at the gallery level. The western aisle was also added to allow for increased pilgrim traffic. The exterior length of the church is . The interior length is , and the width of each transept is . The height of the crossing tower is tall. and two chapels off of the transept. The side aisles are roofed with a barrel vault that was originally covered with stucco. The ambulatory allowed pilgrims to glimpse into the sanctuary space through a metal grill. The metal grill was created out of donated shackles from former prisoners who attributed their freedom to Sainte-Foy. The tympanum appears to be later than the artwork in the nave. This is to be expected as construction on churches was usually begun in the east and completed in the west. The tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty presiding over the judgment of the souls of the deceased. The cross behind Christ indicates he is both Judge and Savior. Archangel Michael and a demon weigh the souls of the deceased on a scale. The righteous go to Christ's right while the damned go to Christ's left where they are eaten by a Leviathan and excreted into Hell. The tortures of Hell are vividly depicted including poachers being roasted by the very rabbit they poached from the monastery. The tympanum also provides an example of cloister wit. A bishop who governed the area of Conques but was not well liked by the monks of Conques is depicted as being caught in one of the nets of Hell. The virtuous are depicted less colorfully. The Virgin Mary, St. Peter and the pilgrim St. James stand on Christ's left. Above their heads are scrolls depicting the names of the Virtues. Two gable shaped lintels act as the entrance into Heaven. In Heaven Abraham is shown holding close the souls of the righteous. A pudgy abbot leads a king, possibly Charlemagne, into heaven. Sainte-Foy is shown on the lower left kneeling in prayer and being touched by the outstretched hand of God. Particularly interesting are carvings of the "curieux" (the curious ones), forerunners of the World War II-era cartoon image known as Kilroy, who peek over the edges of the tympanum. The tympanum was inspired by illuminated manuscripts and would have been fully colored; small traces of the color survive today. ==Treasury==

Conques is the home of many spectacular treasures. One of which is the famous 'A' of Charlemagne. The legend is that Charlemagne had twenty-four golden letters created to give to the monasteries in his kingdom. Conques received his 'A', indicating that it was his favorite. Conques is also home to an arm of St. George the Dragon Slayer. It is claimed that the arm at Conques is the arm with which he actually slew the dragon. The golden statue reliquary of Sainte-Foy dominated the treasury of Conques. The reliquary statue itself was of a twelve year old girl who was beheaded for staying loyal to her faith and beliefs. During the Roman persecution of Christians in the fourth century, Foy refused to surrender her devotion to Christianity, even under torture and threats. As written in the Passio, Foy exclaimed, "For the name of my Lord Jesus Christ I have been prepared not only to be threatened but to suffer all kinds of torments," staying true to her exemplary faith. Her strong will ultimately led her to be tortured and burned to death with a hot brazier, a pan made for coal. Catching a glimpse of the reliquary was the main goal of the pilgrims who came to Conques. The head of the reliquary contains a piece of skull which has been authenticated. The relics themselves were stolen from the nearby town of Agen by the monks of Conques in what was commonly called a furtum sacrum, or holy robbery. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, the relics and treasures were removed by local residents and hidden nearby, while the sanctuary was converted to a "Temple of Reason." Upon visiting Conques in 1833, the author and antiquary Prosper Mérimée, then France's Inspector of Historical Monuments found the abbey beyond repair, but inspired thorough restorations of the church. In 1873, Norbertine order (Premonstratensians) were assigned as the Catholic caretakers of the church. 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. ==Gallery==

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 File:Statue-reliquaire de Sainte-Foy exposée dans l'abbatiale le jour de la sainte Foy 10-10-2010.jpg|The Majesté de Sainte Foy with roses, on Saint-Foy day (October 2010). File:Procession lors de la fête de la sainte Foy à Conques le 6 octobre 2013.jpg|Procession on Saint-Foy day in Conques on October 6, 2013 File:Statue reliquaire de Sainte Foy de Conques (cropped).jpg|Golden statue reliquary of Sainte-Foy (October 6, 2013) ==References==