ABC - Another Bloody Cathedral

Today we are in Auch, a French township or commune in the southwest.  Located in the  Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department and the historical capital of Gascony.

Yesterday we visited Eauze, which had been the capital but was over-run by the Vandals in 409. Auch became the new capital of Gascony and the seat of a Catholic archdiocese, covering the whole of the region.

Auch is known for its Renaissance Cathédrale Sainte-Marie with its magnificent organ, carved stalls and rose stained-glass windows, La Tour d'Armagnac – a 14th century prison, as well as a statue of d'Artagnan, whose exploits were described by Alexandre Dumas.

Auch Cathedral

Auch Cathedral

A side-chapel in the Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral you will find a hundred and thirteen oaken stalls, the wood blackened from being immersed in the Gers river for thirty or so years - The carvings are highly detailed and in all there are 1,500 different carvings.

Carvings from the Choir Stalls

We also visited Tarbes, To the south of which is the pilgrimage town of Lourdes and the border with Spain. Here, the Pyrenees mountains, lying along the border between France and Spain, tower majestically.

The Pyrénées