Theresia Maier The Way to San0ago: Art on the Pilgrimage Routes SS2023
Lecture 4 – Via Podiensis: The Volcanic Way and the furta sacra – Part 2; Prof. Assaf Pinkus
L'abba@ale Sainte-Foy de Conques
A young martyr was decapitated in the 4th century, and as she died, a miraculous river was
discovered, so it became a pilgrimage des@na@on already in early Chris@anity. Conques'
inhabitants were mostly hermits or monks. Dadon, a great hermit famous for his severe
fas@ng and isola@on, piqued Charlemagne's interest in the 8th century. The Emperor of the
Carolingian Empire visited Dadon and was so moved by his devo@on that he decided to fund
the construc@on of a church.
The Book of Miracles of Sainte Foy (Liber Miraculorum Sancte Fides)
A book that compiles the history of the miracles of the cult of fides. The body of St. Foy was
kept in a city called Agen. By the 12th century Conques was planning on becoming a major
pilgrimage stop, but this was not possible, as there was no relict to venerate. Father Bigo,
originally from Conques, landed a job as a treasurer in Agen. During his stay, he stole St. Foy's
body and returned it to Conques. His betrayal was jus@fied by the furta sacra, a medieval
prac@ce used to jus@fy the theW of relics ® oWen portrayed as morally necessary, or even
requested directly by God
The Statue of St. Foy
The golden statue reliquary of Sainte-Foy dominated the treasury of Conques. The head of
the reliquary contains a piece of skull. The reliquary is a 5th century Roman head, possibly the
head of an emperor, mounted on a wooden core covered with gold pla@ng. Gold had a great
meaning for the church, as it is the most expensive material, represented the pres@ge of the
church and symbolized a holy light/splendor. The glass-embedded eyes give the visitor a
sense of presence. As miracles reportedly increased, the gold crown, earrings, gold throne,
filigree work and cameos and jewels, mostly dona@ons from pilgrims, were added.
• St. Fides is described as a cheeky girl who appeared in people's dreams to answer
their prayers
• She liked tough men, (she promised criminals, who came to the church, that she
would break their chains), and jewels, as she demanded from women a gem in
exchange for a miracle
Once the cult of Fides was officialized, processions were started to venerate the Saint.
Pilgrims would plan months in advance to par@cipate to the event and be able to touch the
statue of St. Foy. The Procession was grand and mys@cal, as it had candles, holy water, bells,
trumpets etc. ® sculpture is described as a sparkling star. The mass was so big and intense,
that people would get injured or killed by stomping. There are also many myths and legends
of miracles by Fides.
The Last Judgment – the origins:
The Visio Tnugdali ("Vision of Tnugdalus") is a 12th century religious text repor@ng the
otherworldly vision of the Irish knight Tnugdalu ® The vision tells of the knight falling
unconscious for three days, during which @me an angel guides his soul through Heaven and
Hell, experiencing some of the torments of the damned ® aWerwards he converts to a pious
life
19
Lecture 4 – Via Podiensis: The Volcanic Way and the furta sacra – Part 2; Prof. Assaf Pinkus
L'abba@ale Sainte-Foy de Conques
A young martyr was decapitated in the 4th century, and as she died, a miraculous river was
discovered, so it became a pilgrimage des@na@on already in early Chris@anity. Conques'
inhabitants were mostly hermits or monks. Dadon, a great hermit famous for his severe
fas@ng and isola@on, piqued Charlemagne's interest in the 8th century. The Emperor of the
Carolingian Empire visited Dadon and was so moved by his devo@on that he decided to fund
the construc@on of a church.
The Book of Miracles of Sainte Foy (Liber Miraculorum Sancte Fides)
A book that compiles the history of the miracles of the cult of fides. The body of St. Foy was
kept in a city called Agen. By the 12th century Conques was planning on becoming a major
pilgrimage stop, but this was not possible, as there was no relict to venerate. Father Bigo,
originally from Conques, landed a job as a treasurer in Agen. During his stay, he stole St. Foy's
body and returned it to Conques. His betrayal was jus@fied by the furta sacra, a medieval
prac@ce used to jus@fy the theW of relics ® oWen portrayed as morally necessary, or even
requested directly by God
The Statue of St. Foy
The golden statue reliquary of Sainte-Foy dominated the treasury of Conques. The head of
the reliquary contains a piece of skull. The reliquary is a 5th century Roman head, possibly the
head of an emperor, mounted on a wooden core covered with gold pla@ng. Gold had a great
meaning for the church, as it is the most expensive material, represented the pres@ge of the
church and symbolized a holy light/splendor. The glass-embedded eyes give the visitor a
sense of presence. As miracles reportedly increased, the gold crown, earrings, gold throne,
filigree work and cameos and jewels, mostly dona@ons from pilgrims, were added.
• St. Fides is described as a cheeky girl who appeared in people's dreams to answer
their prayers
• She liked tough men, (she promised criminals, who came to the church, that she
would break their chains), and jewels, as she demanded from women a gem in
exchange for a miracle
Once the cult of Fides was officialized, processions were started to venerate the Saint.
Pilgrims would plan months in advance to par@cipate to the event and be able to touch the
statue of St. Foy. The Procession was grand and mys@cal, as it had candles, holy water, bells,
trumpets etc. ® sculpture is described as a sparkling star. The mass was so big and intense,
that people would get injured or killed by stomping. There are also many myths and legends
of miracles by Fides.
The Last Judgment – the origins:
The Visio Tnugdali ("Vision of Tnugdalus") is a 12th century religious text repor@ng the
otherworldly vision of the Irish knight Tnugdalu ® The vision tells of the knight falling
unconscious for three days, during which @me an angel guides his soul through Heaven and
Hell, experiencing some of the torments of the damned ® aWerwards he converts to a pious
life
19
