Languedoc-Roussillon - North

The convent "Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens" existed in Joncels (pop.300) from about the 7th century to the French Revolution. The former cloister now is the central square of the village. I had passed Joncels in 2011, when I walked the Via Tolosana. Not much had changed since then.

As the central square of Joncels was once the cloister of the benedictian abbey Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, there are some dry spots to have a rest. In another part of the cloister a tractor was parked and other agricultural machinery was stored.

The rain had finally eased, when I reached the small village of Joncels. What is the central square today was once the cloister of the benedictian abbey Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens, founded already within the 7th century, severely damaged during the Wars of Religion, sold and dismanteled after the French Revolution. Unfortunately the still existing church was locked. An old sign nearby told me, that the distance to Paris was - 753 kms.

..heavily vandalised during the Huguenot-wars. Here the pilgrims found the relics of Saint Gilles, who he had lived as a hermit in the area together with a hind sustaining him on her milk. King Wamba of the Visigoths shot an arrow at the hind - but wounded Saint Gilles. Wamba remoresful built him a monastery in 680 - and the Saint became the first abbot...

Crossing the Rhône´s western arm, Le Petit Rhône, via a modern bridge and so leaving the Camargue and entering Gard. On the horizont the water tower of St. Gilles.

The immense portal of the former benedictine monastry St. Gilles, founded within the 7th century. A hermit of noble, greek descendance (later St. Gilles) lived here - with a hind. After Visigothic King Wamba had injured this hind during a hunt (other legends tell, he injured St. Gilles himself) Wamba founded a monastry - and St. Gilles was the first abbot there. St. Gilles was one of the most popular saints in the middle ages, pilgrims flocked to his tomb in the crypt of this church - and continued to Santiago from here. St. Gilles today is still one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. During the Wars of Religion the abbey and the church were totally destroyed and burnt down, what was in 1562. 1622 the campanile got demolished. After that only the crypt, part of the clocher, some eastern walls of the choir existed. The portal, which reminds on roman Triumph-arches (like St. Trophime, Arles) got demolished after the french revolution, - but puzzled together again within the 19th century, when the parish church was built.. This may not be the original version, but even though, it is a masterpiece.

The huge crypt of the former benedictine monastry St. Gilles. In the foreground the tomb of St. Gilles. Three walking sticks are placed there, as still pilgrims flock here - as they did in the middle ages. This crypt has not been destroyed during the Wars of Religion and the Revolution, but was used as a cellar. The most walls around are covered with graffittis dating back to that "secular" times.

In a niche of the crypt is the grave of Pierre de Castelnau, his remains were burnt during the Regilious Wars in 1562, so it is probably empty. - 1202 he was appointed by Pope Innocent III. as a legat for the suppression of the Cathar heresy in Southern France. What he did, he suspended the bishops of Toulouse and Béziers and excommunicated Raymond VI. of Toulouse. Pierre de Castelnau was assassinated on 15.01.1208, allegedly by an agent of Raymond, in the nearby village of Trinquetaille. This assassination triggered the Albigensian Crusade, as now Innocent III declared a crusade, offering the lands of the Cathars to any French nobleman willing to take up arms. This War lasted for 20 years. After that decades many villages and towns were totally destroyed and vast areas in Southern France were depopulated.

The monastery St. Gilles, founded within the 7th century. A hermit lived here - with a hind. After Visigothic King Wamba had injured this hind during a hunt, he founded a monastry. St. Gilles was the first abbot there. St. Gilles was one of the most popular saints in medieval times, pilgrims flocked to his tomb in the crypt - and continued to Santiago from here. St. Gilles today is still one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. During the Wars of Religion the abbey and the church were totally destroyed and burnt down, what was in 1562. 1622 the campanile got demolished. After that only the crypt, part of the clocher, some eastern walls of the choir existed. The portal, which reminds on roman Triumph-arches, got demolished after the french revolution, - but puzzled together again within the 19th century, with material found all around. The precise knowledge about many details was lost, so in some parts it still is an unfinshed puzzle. For sure some parts are still missing - and this is visible. Probably different masters have worked here, as there are different styles in carving on this portal. Here some pretty exotic animals. A skinny dromedary to the right and two monkeys in chains on the left. The carver had a very creative idea: one leg of the monkey in the middle reaches over the frame. Behind them (this is a "3D-puzzle") a bust sculpture of a saint. Maybe this is only the top part of a "full" figure - and the second part is lost. It is placed so far in the background, that I do not believe, that this is the original place. Though there are letters on the nimbus, I could not find out the name of the saint.

Saint-Pancrace, the parish church of Lunas, dates back to the 12th century. Though renovated and reconstructed quite often over the times, some parts, like this frieze, depicting human and animal heads still are original. Two carved capitals have survived inside.

Blue sky over the Château de Lunas on the banks of the Gravezon. The restaurant in the castle was closed in 2011 ("une année sabbatique"). The owner of the "Manoir de Gravezon", where we stayed over night, saved us by opening the restaurant - just for us. Merci beaucoup! www.hotel-manoir-de-gravezon.com/index.htm

Le château de Montarnaud , here seen from the other side of the valley, has a long history. When it was first built in the 11th century, it belonged to the lords of Montpellier. Reconstructed (14th.), besieged and partly destroyed during the Wars of Religion and dismantled by Richelieu it got rebuilt in the 17th. century. Since then it is owned by the family of Aynac Turenne, whose descendents still live ther today

When I reached the "Jardin du Presbytere" in Grabels, there was a pilgrim at the door. The garden would have been a nice and shady place for a little rest, but - it was locked. The pilgrim at the door had obviously waited here so long, that he was really hard and flat by now. On the left side is a number, telling that the distance from here to Santiago is - 1556kms.

Having reached Castelnau-le-Lez, I was in suburbian Montpellier. Here is the nice church Saint-Jean-Baptiste, built in the late 12th/ early 13th century - and perfectly and tasteful restored. The single nave structure clearly dominates the slope - like the hull of a ship.

... reached the inner city of Montpellier next morning. Did not take the sunny side of the road. Way too hot...

.. as seen from the "Kodak-Point", as most photos show this western facade. Pope Urban V, whom "we met" in the Lodeve a couple of times earlier this year, founded a monastry here in 1364. When episcopal see was moved from nearby Maguelonne to Montpellier in 1536 the church of this monastry became cathedral. Then came the Wars of Religion. The church got strong fortifications, but after sieges, massacres, lootings, iconoclasms and bombardements there were only ruins left, when the last towers collapsed in 1567. Rebuilding started (by the order of the King) within the 17th century, last addons where done late 19th century.

Montpellier has a special relationship to Saint Roch, as he was born here in 1348. St. Roch is a very popular Saint, mostly his is pictured as a pilgrim, with a wound on his tigh - and a dog, holding a bread, at his side. He is Patron Saint of invalids, surgeons, gravediggers, apothecaries - and pilgrims, just to name a few. The neogothic church St. Roch was built in the 19th century, but the plans had to be cut, as money was running out. The construction never came to the planned end. The facade is finished, just the two towers never grew upwards.

The outskirts of Castres can already be seen (right) on the horizon. Castres is actually the largest town I entered on the Via Tolosana since I left Montpellier. I admit, that after having reached the city limits, I hopped on a bus, that took me right into the city center - and so had a little disput about "cheating on the chemin" with an australian pelerin that evening. The benedictian monastery in Castres, keeping the relics of Saint Vincent, has been important place during the medieval heyday of the Via Tolosana. I had been in Castres a couple of times before, following a totally different thread.