Conques

Coordinates: 44°36′01″N 2°23′50″E / 44.6003°N 2.3972°E / 44.6003; 2.3972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Conques
Concas (Occitan)
Part of Conques-en-Rouergue
A view of Conques
A view of Conques
Coat of arms of Conques
Coat of arms
Location of Conques
Map
Conques is located in France
Conques
Conques
Conques is located in Occitanie
Conques
Conques
Coordinates: 44°36′01″N 2°23′50″E / 44.6003°N 2.3972°E / 44.6003; 2.3972
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentAveyron
ArrondissementRodez
CantonLot et Dourdou
CommuneConques-en-Rouergue
Area
1
30.51 km2 (11.78 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
237
 • Density7.8/km2 (20/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
12320
Elevation221–663 m (725–2,175 ft)
(avg. 442 m or 1,450 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Conques (French pronunciation: [kɔ̃k]; Languedocien: Concas) is a former commune in the Aveyron department in Southern France, in the Occitania region. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Conques-en-Rouergue.[2]

Geography

The village is located at the confluence of the rivers Dourdou de Conques and Ouche. It is built on a hillside and has classic narrow medieval streets. As a result, large vehicles such as buses cannot enter the historic town centre and must park outside. Consequently, most day visitors enter on foot. The town was largely passed by in the nineteenth century, and was saved from oblivion by the efforts of a small number of dedicated people. As a result, the historic core of the town has very little construction dating from between 1800 and 1950, leaving the medieval structures remarkably intact. The roads have been paved, and modern-day utility lines are buried. It is one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages of France).

The town is situated in a valley. Its name originates from

Latin concha 'shell'.[3]

Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

Main article: Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy
The Sainte-Foy abbey church in Conques

The Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy in Conques was a popular stop for pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago on their way to Santiago de Compostela in what is now Spain. The main draw for medieval pilgrims at Conques were the remains of Saint Faith ("Sainte-Foy"), a martyred young woman from the fourth century.

The original monastery building at Conques was an eighth-century oratory built by monks fleeing the

crossing tower is 26.40 meters tall.[8]

The Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy was added to 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.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17931,055—    
18001,107+4.9%
18061,234+11.5%
18211,317+6.7%
18311,309−0.6%
18361,360+3.9%
18411,418+4.3%
18461,387−2.2%
18511,117−19.5%
18561,388+24.3%
18611,288−7.2%
18661,301+1.0%
18721,220−6.2%
18761,267+3.9%
18811,282+1.2%
18861,286+0.3%
18911,211−5.8%
YearPop.±%
1896561−53.7%
1901993+77.0%
1906990−0.3%
1911902−8.9%
1921755−16.3%
1926725−4.0%
1931709−2.2%
1936686−3.2%
1946647−5.7%
1954561−13.3%
1962529−5.7%
1968479−9.5%
1975420−12.3%
1982404−3.8%
1990362−10.4%
1999302−16.6%
2008281−7.0%

Media

American author Hannah Green wrote a non-fiction work about Conques and the church entitled Little Saint, based on her visit to the town in 1975.[9]

The massive movie set of the fictional provincial town of Villeneuve in Beauty and the Beast was inspired by the town of Conques.[10]

Gallery

  • Conques hermitage
    Conques hermitage
  • Entrance gate to Conques - the Port du Barry
    Entrance gate to Conques - the Port du Barry
  • Conques rooftop vista
    Conques rooftop vista
  • Conques panorama
    Conques panorama
  • Procession on Saint-Foy day in Conques on 6 October 2013
    Procession on Saint-Foy day in Conques on 6 October 2013

See also

References

  1. ^ "Populations légales 2021" [Legal populations 2021] (PDF) (in French). INSEE. December 2023.
  2. ^ Arrêté préfectoral 19 November 2015
  3. ^ A Dictionary of Surnames (Oxford University Press) 1988.
  4. ISBN 978-1-59884-654-6
    .
  5. ^ a b c Stoddard, Whitney S. (1966). Art and Architecture in Medieval France. Boulder, Co.: Westview Press. p. 35.
  6. ISBN 978-1-59884-654-6
    .
  7. S2CID 192619929
    .
  8. ^ Vernon, Eleanor (1963). "Romanesque Churches of the Pilgrimage Road". Gesta (Pre-Serial Issue): 14.
  9. ^ William Jay Smith (September 2001). "Golden spark, little saint". The New Criterion. Retrieved 4 October 2015.
  10. ^ Elizabeth Stamp (17 March 2017). "How Beauty and the Beast's Magnificent Sets Came to Life". Architectural Digest.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Conques.
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