Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges - Cathedral

The village Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, named after a bishop of the once existing diocese here,was just like neighbouring Valcabrère once part of a large Roman settlement, that may have had about 30.000 inhabitants. In the early 5th century the Vandals sacked the city, in 585 merovingian troops razed the site, that probably had the bishopric seat already at that time.

Saint Bertrand of Comminges (1073–1123) restored and fortified the town. He commissioned the erection of the cathedral. Saint Bertrand´s tomb was a center of regional pilgrimage already before he got canonized around 1220.

Pope Clement V, who had once been Bishop of this diocese, strongly promoted the pilgrimage, so that soon after the Romanesque church was to small for the many "pelerins". Between 1304 and 1352 the major part of old nave got demolished to make room for a new, larger Gothic nave.

I do like to find strange or even bizarre "things" in and around churches. This stuffed crocodile, mounted to a wall, is in deed very strange. I learned, that there is a legend, that the reptil crawled up the river and was killed by Saint Bertrand by the power of a prayer. It is more likely, the the crocodile is an ex voto, brought back by a knight from one of the crusades.

This is the second stuffed croc I found in a French church. The other one is in the church of Oiron (Poitou-Charentes). I do remember another one hanging down in the cloister of the Cathedral of Sevilla.


More infos can be found at the cathedral´s website:

www.cathedrale-saint-bertrand.org/