Duravel - Saint-Hilarion

Duravel was known as Diolindum already in late Roman times. A chapel existed here probably since the 5th/6th century. This chapel, that got destroyed, had a crypt.

In 1055 Duravel was donated to the Abbey in Moissac, since then this was a priory. After the relics of the Saints Hilarion, Agathon and Poemon had been transferred to the priory from Moissac, pilgrims headed to this church.

A town developed next to the priory. THis town had already a population of about 6000, when it got besieged for weeks by English troops during the Hundred Years War. Duravel withststood the attack and the English left empty handed.

30 years after the church got severely damaged during the Wars of Religion, the last monks left and the priory was given up in 1626.

Since then most buildings of the priory got lost. The Romanesque church got rebuilt and reconstructed, but still seems very intact.

I reached Duravel just before noontime - and found the church locked. There was a note, that a key could be picked up during the opening hours of the tourist office. I sprinted to the office and entered just minutes, before the lunch break. The very friendly lady behind the counter then granted me 20 minutes extra-time and waited in the office, until I had locked the church and returned the key.

Merci beaucoup!