The Sainte-Foy abbey church in Conques

A ninth-century holy theft brought a martyr's relics to Conques. Miracles made the site wealthy and famous. The church built to accommodate pilgrims remains a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The abbey of Conques was founded in the early ninth century but remained poor and obscure. Seeking relics that could attract pilgrims and their offerings, the monks executed a remarkable theft. Around 866, a monk named Arinisdus traveled to Agen, where Sainte Foy's relics were kept. He lived among the canons there for ten years, gaining their trust, until finally he had opportunity to steal the relics and flee to Conques.

The holy theft transformed the abbey's fortunes. Miracles began immediately. The cult of Sainte Foy specialized in healing the blind and liberating captives; by 1172, the Benedictines had documented 126 miraculous interventions. Pilgrims streamed to the remote valley. The wealth they brought funded the construction of the current church, begun under Abbot Odolric in 1031 and completed in the early twelfth century.

The church was designed as a pilgrimage church, architecturally related to Saint-Sernin in Toulouse and the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela itself. The Last Judgment tympanum was carved around 1107-1125, presenting the medieval world's understanding of what awaited all souls.