Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

General information
Architectural style	Romanesque architecture
Location	Conques, France
Height	26.40 metres (86.6 ft)

The Sainte-Foy abbey-church in Conques

Church doors and the tympanum

The Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy is a famous church in Conques, France. It was a very popular stop for pilgrims. These travelers were on their way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. They were following the Way of St. James, a long journey for religious reasons.

The main reason pilgrims visited Conques was to see the remains of Sainte-Foy. She was a young woman who died for her Christian faith in the 300s. The church got her remains in a clever way in 866. Monks from Conques spent almost ten years planning to bring her relics from another town. The Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy has been a protected historical site since 1840.

Exploring the Church's Design
- Inside the Abbey Church
- The Last Judgment Tympanum
Treasures of Conques
- The Golden Reliquary of Sainte-Foy
Images for kids
See also

Exploring the Church's Design

View from the west.

The church from another angle.

The first building here was a small prayer house from the 700s. Monks built it after escaping from Spain. This first chapel was taken down in the 1000s. This was to make room for a much bigger church. More pilgrims started coming to Conques because of Sainte-Foy's remains.

The church was built in stages. The first big part was finished by the late 1000s. This included five small chapels and a walkway around the altar. The next stage was completed in the early 1100s. It was inspired by other large churches. Like many churches on pilgrimage routes, Conques has a basilica shape. This means it's long with a central aisle. It also has a cruciform plan, shaped like a cross.

Inside the Abbey Church

The nave, or main part of the church.

The main part of the church, called the nave, has tall, rounded arches. Above these, there are galleries with smaller arches. These galleries allowed more people to move around the church. The roof of the nave is a long, curved stone ceiling. It is very thick, about 60 centimeters.

Huge stone pillars divide the nave into sections. These pillars reach up through the galleries. They make the inside of the church feel very tall, about 20.70 meters high. The church has 212 columns, and many of their tops, called capitals, are decorated.

Decorated Capitals and Their Stories

These capitals show many different designs. You can see palm leaves, symbols, and even creatures from old stories. Some show scenes from Sainte-Foy's life. On the north side of the nave, one capital has two detailed birds. On the south side, another shows human figures. They look a bit hunched, as if holding up the heavy arches. These carved capitals were like picture books. They taught both monks and pilgrims stories. You can still see traces of color on some of them today.

Light and Stained-Glass Windows

Light comes into the church through large windows in the aisles. More light shines from the crossing tower into the nave. The original windows are gone now. After World War II, colorful pictures were put in the window spaces. But these didn't quite fit the old style of the church.

In 1986, an artist named Pierre Soulages was asked to design new windows. He created 104 windows with abstract designs. They have rows of gently curving lines. Soulages used special crushed white glass. This helps keep the pure, strong look of the church's architecture. These windows are now a key part of Conques. They help people feel calm and thoughtful in the space.

The Ambulatory and Pilgrim Chains

There's a walkway, called an ambulatory, around the altar area. Pilgrims could look into the sacred space through a metal screen. This screen was made from chains. These chains were donated by former prisoners. They believed Sainte-Foy had helped them gain their freedom. The chains reminded pilgrims that Sainte-Foy could free people. They also symbolized how monks could help people be free from sin.

Stories spread about Sainte-Foy helping people. Often, a pilgrim would be captured and chained. They would pray to Sainte-Foy and then be magically freed. These freed pilgrims would travel to Conques. They would dedicate their chains to Sainte-Foy and share their stories. As more stories were told, more pilgrims came.

The Last Judgment Tympanum

A sculpted capital in the cloister.

The outside of Conques doesn't have much decoration. But there's one big exception: the Last Judgment tympanum. This is a large carved scene above the main western entrance. As pilgrimages became safer, people needed reminders of their journey's serious purpose. Images of judgment helped with this.

The tympanum shows Jesus Christ as a judge. He is deciding the fate of people's souls. The cross behind him shows he is both judge and savior. Archangel Michael and a demon weigh souls on a scale. Good people go to Christ's right, towards Heaven. Bad people go to his left, towards Hell. Hell is shown with vivid tortures. For example, poachers are roasted by the very rabbits they stole!

Heaven is shown with Abraham holding the souls of the good. The Virgin Mary, Saint Peter, and Saint James are also there. Sainte-Foy herself is shown kneeling in prayer. There are even carvings of "curious ones" peeking over the edges. This amazing carving was once fully colored. You can still see tiny bits of color today.

Treasures of Conques

Reliquary of Sainte-Foy.

Conques holds many amazing treasures. One is the famous "A" of Charlemagne. Legend says that Charlemagne had 24 golden letters made for his favorite monasteries. Conques supposedly received his "A." But this is just a story. The "A" is real and dates from around 1100. No other letters from Charlemagne's alphabet have ever been found. Conques also claims to have an arm of St. George the Dragon Slayer. People say it's the very arm he used to kill the dragon!

The Golden Reliquary of Sainte-Foy

The most important treasure is the golden statue of Sainte-Foy. This statue is a reliquary, meaning it holds sacred remains. It looks like a 12-year-old girl. She was beheaded for staying true to her Christian faith. During Roman times in the 300s, Christians were persecuted. Foy refused to give up her beliefs, even when threatened with torture. She bravely said she was ready to suffer for her Lord. She was tortured to death with a hot brazier, a pan for burning coals.

Seeing this reliquary was the main goal for pilgrims coming to Conques. The head of the statue contains a piece of her skull. The head itself is a Roman sculpture from the 400s. It might have been the head of an emperor. It was placed on a wooden core and covered with gold. Made in the late 800s, the reliquary was about 2 feet 9 inches tall.

Over time, as more miracles were reported, the statue grew. Pilgrims donated gold crowns, earrings, jewels, and cameos. These were added to the reliquary. In the 1300s, crystal balls were added to its throne. Silver arms and hands were added in the 1500s. Bronze shoes and knee plates were added in the 1700s. No single artist made this reliquary. It changed over centuries with all the donations. The monks of Conques had cleverly taken the relics from the nearby town of Agen.

After the French Revolution, local people hid the relics and treasures. This kept them safe. In 1833, a writer named Prosper Mérimée visited Conques. He saw the church needed a lot of repair. His visit led to big restoration projects. In 1873, a group of Catholic caretakers, the Norbertine order, took over the church.

The Sainte-Foy abbey church became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. It is part of the sites along the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. You can take self-guided tours to see its Romanesque architecture. Some tours even happen at night with music and special lighting.