Our second excursion was to Conques, approx. a 2-hour drive from Ambialet. It's a beautiful spot located in higher terrain ("Massif Central"), and accessible only through very windy, narrow roads. Conques is famous for having the relics of a young virgin martyr (Sainte-Foy) who was put to death by the Romans in 4th C. In the early Middle Ages, the monks at Conques apparently got hold of her bones, and used them to establish their church as a major cult center (monks were great story-tellers!) Conques' historical importance remains its wonderfully preserved church -- a very detailed tympanum depicting the scene of the Last Judgment (see above) -- and its remarkably extensive relic collection -- which only survives thanks to people of Conques, who took pains to hide it during Revolutionary era. 
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| Prof. Eric Crema instructing students. |
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| Pilgrim's "ambulatory" in the church. |
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