Trifter

This little village of Saint-Bertrand de Comminges lies at the foot of the Pyrenees and was once famous on the Roman road from Toulouse to Luchon. Rising sheer from the hill, the true acropolis soon became a capital-city with the Roman Empire. In 72 BC, Pompey enabled the place to progress by leaps and bounds. Excavations provided valuable information about the ancient city, its forums, theatre and thermae.

Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, France – image source

It expanded up to the village of Saint-Just de Valcabrère where the Romanesque church is a real Gallo-Roman museum. Reliefs, blocks of stone and columns with Roman lettering were elegantly incorporated in the construction. The apsidioles of the Xth century were influenced by the Mozarabic Art.

The Xth century apsidioles of Saint-Just de Valcabrère church – image source

The edifice is in perfect harmony with the rural lansdcape and from the apse, the cathedral of Saint-Bertrand de Comminges on the hill composes an admirable scenery. This cathedral can be seen from very far in the Valley of Comminges.

Saint-Bertrand de Comminges – image source

As you enter Saint-Bertrand de Comminges, you walk through an old gate, pass by tall houses dating back to the XVIth century. Then you certainly will be struck by the fact that the cathedral occupies the whole surface of the hill upon which it rises.

Roman relief incorporated in the romanesque church of Saint-Just de Valcabrère – image source

To the South, you can peer into the ravine that protected the town. The façade of the cathedral surprises with its ruggedness, the tower was intentionally erected as a defensive work during feudal wars. Pagan sepulchral stones were embedded in the wall. The decoration of the portal is very traditional and gives the best idea of the style used for Pyrenean Romanesque portals.

The portal with the Apostles – image source

The lintel and tympanum feature exceptional iconographic interest. These sculptures recall, as far as style is concerned, the famous church of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse. The evocation of the Apostles, quite rare in the XIIth century, is connected to the renewal of “life in common” in convents and monasteries and gives evidence of a certain spirit of collegial structure. The sculptor did not try to differentiate the apostles with their emblems, but showed them as part of an indistinct group.

Tomb of Saint-Bertrand – image source

Bishop Saint-Bertrand had fought against clergy’s abuses and gathered clerks to live a community life in true monasteries. The Gothic interior of the cathedral is simple and majestically proportioned. The raised funerary chapels in the nave are inspired by the Gothic of the North and seem aerial. Following the ambulatory, the choir and rood screens amaze the visitors with their finely carved Renaissance décor, as well as the stalls, and the organ.

The XVIth century organ - image source

The sumptuous tomb of Saint-Bertrand is found behind the choir, in front of the apsidal chapel. With its imposing dimensions, it resembles a gigantic shrine crowned with pinnacles and fleurons.

The church, choir and tomb of Saint-Bertrand – image source

The cloister is accessible through a Romanesque door in the South wall of the nave. Its plan is irregular due to the lack of space so close to the ravine. Its capitals are both Romanesque and Gothic, and the pillar with the Evangelists is quite remarkable.

The cloister with the Evangelists pillar – image source

You can enjoy from here unexpected vistas over the mountains and countryside.

Saint-Just de Valcabrère church – image source

The visit of the museums confirms the intense life of this village centuries ago.