What to do in Conques, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France?

Lovers of history and architecture, welcome to Conques, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France. With a population of around 280, it is perched at an altitude of 250 metres in the Aveyron department, in the Midi-Pyrénées. A former French commune, Conques has been a delegated commune of the new commune of Conques-en-Rouergue since 1 January 2016, which includes the communes of Conques, Grand-Vabre, Noailhac and Saint-Cyprien-sur-Dourdou.

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Conques, witness of the medieval period and muse of Romanesque art

The commune of Conques takes its name from the shell-shaped slope of the valley in which it lies, and is pronounced "concha" in Latin. A witness to the medieval period and a muse of Romanesque art thanks to its architectural wealth, its oldest houses date from the end of the Middle Ages. The latter have remarkable facades combining half-timbering, yellow limestone and red sandstone topped by splendid silver shale roofs, explains Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.

In this city where the stone is king, the Abbatiale Sainte-Foy welcomes many tourists every year. This is not surprising when you consider that this church, a real little jewel of history, is listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site as part of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Located on the "via Podiensis" (one of the four French pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela), Conque remains an essential stopover for pilgrims on their way to Santiago.

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What to do in Conques?

Visit the Abbatiale Sainte-Foy: Described as a pilgrimage church, the Abbatiale Sainte-Foy is considered one of the masterpieces of Romanesque art in southern France. The church has been listed as a Monument Historique since 1840. Visitors can contemplate its 250 capitals magnified by the light of contemporary stained glass windows by Pierre Soulages, as well as the tympanum of its western portal, which features no less than 124 figures frozen in stone illustrating the Last Judgement.
Discover the Treasure of Conques: It is one of the 5 great European treasures of medieval goldsmithery and the only one in France where it is possible to admire so many objects of the High Middle Ages. Kept in the abbey church until 1875, the Treasure was moved to the current building constructed to house it in 1911. Since 2002, it has been kept in six glass cabinets that illustrate the history of the abbey and group its objects chronologically and by theme.
Visit the Joseph-Fau Museum: This museum, which owes its name to a former mayor of Conques, is perfectly in line with the discovery of the Treasure of Conques. What can be found there? Remains of the capitals of the Romanesque cloister, sculptures and woodwork dating from the 16th to 17th centuries, and 17th-century Felletin tapestries from the abbey.
Discover the Saint-Roch chapel: Located on the outskirts of the village, the Saint-Roch chapel -built in the 15th century in place of a castle that controlled the confluence of the Ouche and Dourdou rivers- contains ceiling paintings and beautiful frescoes dating from the 19th century or earlier, as well as two pools fed by runoff water, under its building. As a bonus, the spotlight of the Saint-Roch Chapel offers visitors a very nice view of the village of Conques.
See the Château d'Humières: built by the Humières family between the 15th and 16th centuries, this unusual building perfectly reflects the constraints of urban planning in a mountain environment. It is notably composed of irregularly arranged windows and a very imposing high staircase tower. Lovers of unusual places: this castle is for you!

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Conques, view on the roofs and its abbey. Kazutoshi Yoshimura-LPBVF

What to visit around Conques?

The Chambres de Lumière art gallery (7 km): in the former Saint-Cyprien convent, Bastien Carré invites visitors to discover his "lumigraphies". Sculptures, mobiles, paintings... the artist brings to light the fruit of his imagination. In 2021, his exhibition even won the prize in the departmental competition Talents d'Aveyron!
The site of La Vinzelle (12 km): an important medieval village, situated on a rocky spur overlooking the Lot, the site of La Vinzelle was a stopover on the route to Santiago de Compostela. Not to be missed? The bell tower of La Vinzelle, with a bell that weighs no less than 1250 kg!
Rodez Cathedral (39 km): The cathedral and its 87-meter-high bell tower, built by Antoine Salvanh between 1513 and 1526, are a must-see in Rodez. Inside the cathedral? 15th century stalls made by the workshop of André Sulpice, the chapel of Gaillard Roux (or Saint-Sépuclre), the 16th-century chapel of the Blessed Sacrament decorated with a coffered vault, the case of the great organ dating from the 17th-century, and the contemporary stained glass windows by Stéphane Belzère made between 2002 and 2007, with the collaboration of the Duchemin workshop.
The panoramic site of Bancarel (2 km): between the gorges of the Ouche and the vineyards of Marcillac, the panoramic site of Bancarel offers an unobstructed view of the town of Conques and its Abbey.
The Vallon de Marcillac, and the Route des Vins (18 km): Between Conques and Rodez lies the Marcillac vineyard. 200 hectares of vineyards developed by the people of Conques more than 1000 years ago, from which no less than 13 wine cellars have been created.