Three Saints and a New Country - September 30, 2025

A view in Saint-Lizier

At this point on our road trip, we were comfortable with our morning routine. Just around the corner from our hotel was a Carrefour, where we stocked up on yogourt and croissants for our usual breakfast. Now we had delicious jam too, so that was a good start to our day. 

Bob setting out the see the church.

The entrance to l'Église Collégiale Saint-Pierre and Saint-Gaudens

After our meal, we drove to the historic centre of Saint-Gaudens. To our delight, we found a parking spot right beside l'Église Collégiale Saint-Pierre and Saint-Gaudens. We walked around to the north side where the Flamboyant Gothic entrance awaited us. It has some unusual features, including two small carved rose windows in the tympanum. 

Interior of l'Église Collégiale Saint-Pierre and Saint-Gaudens

The Neo-Byzantine apse

While some changes have been made to this church over the centuries, it is still considered a masterpiece of the architectural design of the early 12th century. For example, the supporting columns are compound, a style associated with the High International Romanesque period. The apse is much more modern, however. It contains magnificent Neo-Byzantine paintings from the 19th century depicting Christ against a gold background. 

Vegetal capitals

Nereid and Centaurs

Many of the original Romanesque capitals still sit atop the columns inside the church. Some of the carvings are vegetal in nature, illustrating plants only. Others are much more intricate. For instance, the one above depicts two centaurs holding the tails of a nereid (a sea spirit) who, in turn, is grasping her own braids. 

One of the tapestries

Close-up of a tapestry

Among this church's greatest treasures are three tapestries woven in the famous Aubusson Manufactory during the 18th century. They tell three stories: the transfiguration of Christ, the triumph of faith, and the Martyrdom of Saint Gaudens, the one in the above photos. 

The cloister

The door to the chapter house

Behind the church is a beautiful cloister and chapter house, the originals of which were built in the 13th century. In the 19th century, the cloister was dismantled, and then over a hundred years later, it was reconstructed. Many of the original capitals which had been preserved were reinstalled, while others were copied. 

Complicated capital

The Fall of Adam and Eve

The result is remarkable. As we studied each capital, whether an original or a copy, we were invited into the mindset of medieval Christians. Note the two figures in the first image above. They appear to have been captured in vines. Could they represent Adam and Eve? Surely the second photo is of the first man and woman. I see the tree of knowledge and an apple in someone's hand.

Prismatic pillar

The bell tower framed

One of the most intriguing features of the cloister is a prismatic pillar. The figure of Christ, identifiable by his halo, is on the left. Parallel to him is a naked, anthropomorphic demon. He has pointed ears, claws rather than feet, and a tail. This sculpture represents Christ's temptation in the desert. Interestingly, we had our best view of the bell tower from the cloister. It was reconstructed in the 19th century.

A line up of columns and capitals

Inside the cloister

While not very large, this is a very eye-pleasing cloister. It has delicacy and gracefulness thanks to the slenderness of the columns and the symmetry of the space. The variety of the capitals also adds interest to the cloister. I have highlighted two with sculpted figures, but others are of a simple basket-weave design.

The rear of the church

A line up of corbels

We circled the church once more as we began our walk through the town. At the rear of the building, Bob spotted several corbels. These contain faces and are arrayed under the over-hanging roof tiles of the three circular apses of the l'Église Collégiale Saint-Pierre and Saint-Gaudens. 

Pink Umbrellas

La Musée des Pynénées Centrales

In the square nearby was an array of pink umbrellas, similar to the ones we had seen in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on our second day on the road. These displays certainly convey the French joie de vivre. From here, we descended a flight of stairs to Boulevard Jean Bepmale where la Musée des Pyrénées Centrales is. Apparently, it tells the story of the region. 

Local industry

Looking back at l"Église Collégiale

Surely part of this story is the Fibre Excellence cellulose plant which produces 300 000 tons of bleached pulp annually. We had seen so much beauty on our trip that this sight on the horizon came as a shock. Not only is this factory an eyesore, it also gives off an unpleasant odour. So, we looked the other way, back to the church standing above us, and continued our tour. 

Monument des Trois Maréchaux

Augustus Saint-Gaudens Monument

Another flight of stairs took us to Avenue Henri Montagut, a main thoroughfare into Saint-Gaudens. Since we had driven along it the previous evening when we arrived at the town, I recognized the monuments there. The first of these, le Monument des Trois Maréchaux, honours three generals from WWI who were from the Pyrénées region: Foch, Joffre, and Gallieni. Behind it is a large wall dedicated to Augustus Saint-Gaudens, an Irish-French sculptor who lived most of his life in New York City. He was made an Officier de la Légion d'honneur in 1901, one of the many titles earned during his stellar career. 

Bust of Augustus Saint-Gaudens

Metal silhouettes

A small bust of the man stands in the middle of the structure, but I was more intrigued by the iron silhouettes that seem to descend the stairs on each side of him. They typify the fashion at the beginning of the 20th century, espeically the child with a hoop. 

Hôtel de Ville

Garden on a wall

We climbed these stairs to continue our exploration of the town. We soon arrived at the town hall, where more pink umbrellas as well as a long pink ribbon were arrayed. Besides adding colour and charm, these accents are reminders that breast cancer awareness month, October, would begin the next day. On the wall beside the town hall was a remarkable horizontal garden, quite something!

Le Halle Gourmand

Maccarons for sale

After a few more steps, we found ourselves at the Halle Gourmand, Saint-Gaudens' marketplace. Here, there are many local products for sale, and a small café. We resisted its many temptations and made our way back to our car. Our brief visit to Saint-Gaudens was over.

Cathédrale Saint-Lizier 

Madonna and child

Forty-five minutes later, we arrived at our second "Saint" town of the day, Saint-Lizier. This tiny village is home to two historic churches that look over the town. We parked below them and walked up a hill, where we soon arrived at le Cathédrale Saint-Lizier. 

Stairs and greenery

Tangled garden

We walked through a gate near the rear of the church. This is where the tourist information office is located, but midday in late September, it was not open. We wandered around the area, finding ourselves in an untended garden. This was not the route to take, obviously. 

Cathédrale Saint-Lizier

13th century fresco of Christ in Majesty

So, we retraced our steps and made our way to the street in front of the church where we looked back at it through an archway. This 11th century Romanesque church and the town were named after Lizier de Couserans, a bishop who participated in the Council of Agde in the 6th century.

Renaissance chapel

Ancient frescoes

Like many ancient churches, Cathédrale Saint-Lizier underwent many changes over the centuries, but unlike most, all renovations stopped in 1655 when it lost its designation as a cathedral due to the erection of another one north of it. For that reason, it has been frozen in time.

11th century fresco

Vault, gallery and frescoes

The 11th century Romanesque frescoes here are remarkable. Many are only partially visible, as can be seen in the first photo above. The vaulted ceiling is also very interesting. Walking inside this ancient church is like journeying back in time. 

The Romanesque cloister

Another view of the cloister

From the time of its consecration in 1117, there has been a cloister attached to this church. To this day, it has retained its four complete galleries, and its Romanesque appearance. This is evident in the semi-circular arches on its main floor and its marble columns topped by decorated capitals. 

Single and double columns

Capital

While the columns vary between single and double formations, the capitals are generally made of intricate carvings of vegetation, as can be seen in the photo above. Along the inside wall of the cloister is a beautiful depiction of the Cavalry with Christ upon the cross and his mother standing alone beside him. Below them is a bas-relief of six saints. 

Cavalry

Bas-relief

Other treasures here include two tombs. The first of these, that of Auger II of Montflaucon, a 13th century bishop, was discovered during restoration work. The other, of 16th century prelate Hector of Ossum, includes an impressive recumbent effigy of the man.

Gothic niche tomb of Auger II of Montflaucon

Recumbent effigy of Hector of Ossum

This former cathedral is not the only attraction in the tiny village of Saint-Lizier. With its well-preserved medieval streets, it is considered one of the many "plus beaux villages de France". We wandered these laneways, often feeling like we were completely alone. 

Square with fountain

Bob poses near an ancient house.

We passed through a square where 21st century cars seemed out of place in front of half-timbered and stone houses. From here, we wandered down a narrow street, looking for an open restaurant, but there was nothing to be found, except some delicate flowers. 

Quiet street

Anemone flowers

Clearly, the residents of this lovely place take a lot of pride in preserving its medieval character. It was another perfect day, so this village looked especially beautiful under a bluebird sky. For Bob, it was a pleasure to take photographs win such a lovely place.

The view through an ancient archway

Cobblestones and hanging flower pots

Had the tourist office been open, we could have picked up a map for a walking tour through the village, but we did our best on our own. Eventually, we arrived at the clock tower which stands at one of the gates of what was once a Roman stronghold. Nearby, we admired an interesting door with a lion knocker in its centre.

The clock tower

Interesting wooden door

We climbed as we toured the village, and eventually we arrived at the what was once the bishop's palace. From the 5th century to the beginning of the 19th, seventy-seven bishops resided there. When Saint-Lizier lost its status as a bishopric in 1801, the building was abandoned

Another town square

The Bishop's Palace

Today, a UNESCO World Heritage site, it houses the Ariège Departmental Museum which presents the history of the region. Also within its walls is the second of the town's cathedrals, Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède. Unfortunately, on this day, the complex was closed, so all we could do was take in the view from behind the building. 

The cathedral with the Pynénées as a backdrop

Beautiful countryside

The photo that begins this post was taken there. Bob zoomed into the Cathédrale Saint-Lizier from above. As you can see in the above two shots, the scene was truly spectacular: fluffy clouds above blue mountains, a smattering of dark trees, and green, green grass. 

Pathway to the church

L'Église Saint-Girons stands very close to the river

From here, we returned to our car, and made the very short trip across the river below us to the last of our "saint" towns, Saint-Girons, a mere twelve minutes away. Once we found a parking spot, we walked toward the river which runs through the town, the Salat.. This is where stands the church of the same name. We entered the building but took very few photos. Built in 1857, it is very modern by French standards. Even though its interior was attractive enough, it paled next to the cathedral we had visited in Saint-Lizier less than an hour before. 

The choir

A side altar

Our focus instead was the Salat river that is so important in this town. It was very still in parts, and very fast in others, as a result of a weir that manages water levels. Spanning it is le Pont Vieux, a traditional stone bridge with graceful arches that were reflected on the water. 

The weir and the bridge

Le Salat and Pont Vieux

It was just after 2:00 pm now, and we had not yet had our midday meal, so we walked the main street by the river's edge looking for a place to eat, yet knowing that most restaurants do not stay open that late for lunch. Luckily for us, a restaurant called Le Refuge was willing to take us in. We shared a delicious salmon salad served to us by a very pleasant waiter, and thanked the kitchen staff for staying a little late on our account. 

Mountain scenery near Porté-Puymorens

Bucolic scene

It was then time to return to the mountains for a long drive to our final destination of the day. We were again journeying on winding roads, as we climbed into the Pyrénées for three hours. As he had before, Bob did a terrific job behind the wheel.

This bus showed us the way.

Bye, bus!

As we neared Andorra, we found ourselves behind a bus. It became a touchstone for Bob, as he happily followed it for miles. It set a manageable speed for him, and we were in no hurry. He was disappointed when it turned towards a tunnel at Porta while we continued on the road. 

Near the top of a mountain

Switchbacks

In hindsight, she should have followed the bus, since we soon discovered that the final leg of this road was full of hair-raising switchbacks. I must admit I had not done my research about the route to Andorra, but I certainly made a mental note to use the tunnel on our way back to France. 

King size bed

Lounge area

Needless to say, we made it to Andorra la Vella, the capital of the tiny country of Andorra, without incident. After a long, harrowing drive in the Pyrénées, we were rewarded with an upgrade to our room in the Arca Arthotel, a very pleasant surprise. I do not know why we were chosen for this, but we certainly appreciated it. Instead of a room, we were given a suite, with many delightful features, including a hot tub. 

Lovely bathroom

Hot tub

After settling in, we went for a walk in this new country, looking for a place to have our dinner. We were in a very modern city, unlike anything else we had seen on this trip. Its main shopping street, Avinguda Meritxell, is the main attraction in Andorra. People come here to shop because everything is tax-free. 

Avinguda Meritxell, the main street

Noblesa del Temps

We decided to have dinner at Restaurant 120, a large establishment where the menu included cuisine from many countries. We opted for a Russian salad, a dish we associate with Spanish tapas, and some pasta. Then we walked towards a central square, lit up at night. 

Andorra la Vella sign

After taking photos of the main attractions there, Salvador Dali's Noblesa del Temps sculpture (The Nobility of Time), and the city sign, lit up above a water feature, we returned to our suite for a well-deserved rest. We had only walked about 9 500 steps but it had been a long day of travel.