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of souls’, hombres so tough that even a greatRoman general like Pompey preferred to winthem over by kindness; he declared them tobe Romans and granted them the territory,henceforth called Lugdunum Convenarum.The Convenii turned out to be excellentcitizens. Lugdunum thrived, and was importantenough to host the exiled Herod Antipater,wife Herodias and her daughter Salome.Some six centuries later, in 1083, Bertrand del’Isle-Jourdain, cousin of Count Raymond IVof Toulouse (leader of the First Crusade) wasappointed bishop of Convenarum, now calledComminges and was canonized in 1175.In the late 1200s, Bertrand de Got of Bordeaux(later Pope Clement V) rebuilt the cathedralof Sainte-Marie and encouraged pilgrims tovisit St Bertrand’s tomb. Today, the pilgrims areback, it’s a stop on the Piedmont Pyrenees Wayto Compostela and a World Heritage Site.Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges © Dominique Viet, CRTL OccitainieSaint-Bertrand-de-Comminges:The Cathedral ofthe PyreneesIt’s an unforgettable sight: the teensy villageof Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges squeezedon an isolated promontory under a mightilybuttressedGothic church. Before Lourdes, thisinland Mont-Saint-Michel was the religiouscentre of the Pyrenees and an ideal spot for atranquil stay says Dana Facaros.Salome woz hereThe ancient Celts called it Lugdunum, the‘Citadel of the Sun’ for its temple dedicated tothe sun god Lug. By 76 BC, the only tribes leftin the area were the Iberian Convenii, ‘robbersPlus a crocodile and aunicornFew cathedrals enjoy such a majestic setting.At night, when it’s illuminated, it appears tofloat like a golden ship over the mountains.Walk up through the medieval gate andnote the pagan tombstones from Lugdunumembedded in the tower.The interior is full of marvels, starting no lesswith the ‘Third Wonder of Gascony’ - a 3,000pipe organ perched on columns, inauguratedin 1535. It still blasts out a wall of sound,especially during the summer music festival.Opposite, an embalmed crocodile is bolted tothe wall, reputedly slain by St Bertrand when itswam up the Garonne.An opulent Renaissance rood screen closes offthe choir. You’ll need to fork out a few euros tosee the rest, but it’s worth it.Start with the cloister. Built by St Bertrand,it sits on the edge of the promontory, withan open gallery overlooking the mountains.Among the tombs is one belonging to a Canon44 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 45
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