48 hours in Comminges

Occitanie/2023

There's no better way to reacquaint yourself with the geography of the French provinces than by delving into history. In ancient times, Comminges occupied the entire area between Gascony and Languedoc, including the present-day departments of Gers, Haute-Garonne, Hautes-Pyrénées and Ariège, as well as the county of Comminges. Today, this beautiful Pyrenean region stretches south from Toulouse to the mountains, including Luchon and Lac d'Oô, in a massif culminating at over 3,000 meters.

The walk we suggest doesn't reach these peaks, but remains in the heart of historic Comminges, in the Pyrenean foothills. Starting in Saint-Gaudens, you'll remember the rural, verdant and sometimes austere landscapes of the surrounding villages. The villages extend into hamlets, with their centers clustered around old stone houses. The many religious buildings along the route also bear witness to a rich past. Saint-Gaudens is centered around the superb Romanesque collegiate church of Saint-Pierre, built between the 11th and 13th centuries. The name of the church, and of the town, is borrowed from Gaudens, a young Christian martyr killed by the soldiers of Euric, Visigoth king of Toulouse, in the 5th century. The liveliness of the town converges on this Place Jean-Jaurès, where terraces and shops converge. Nearby, the village of Valentine is home to the remains of an ancient Gallo-Roman villa. An essential visit is Saint-Bertrand-de-Comminges, an ancient Roman colony founded by Pompey in 72 BC as Lugdunum Convenarum (the Convènes occupied Comminges for a long time). In the 11th century, Bishop Bertrand de L'Isle-Jourdain undertook the construction of the cathedral. Later canonized, he gave his name to the village. Two centuries later, the arrival of Avignon's Pope Clement V consecrated the locality, with the construction of a new Gothic-style church to house the saint's relics. Today, Saint-Bertrand is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in south-west France, on the route to Santiago de Compostela. The site is of singular beauty and exudes a spirituality that touches visitors of all religious persuasions. The Comminges tour continues through Sauveterre-de-Comminges, with its Hôtel du Barry, Encausse-les-Thermes, Soueich, Couret, Rouede, with its Auberge Meurette, and Salies-du-Salat, a spa whose salty springs were already known to the Romans. A quick dip into Ariège, via Saint-Girons and Saint-Lizier, then Pamiers. While, in the historical sense, we're still in Comminges, in today's geography, the Ariege region is part of Couserans, which encompasses the Ariege Pyrenees. Passing through Tourtouse, you won't want to miss the feudal motte and its spectacular keep, dating from the 12th century and raised by an octagonal section in the 14th century. Saint-Lizier is a medieval gem located just above Saint-Girons. From the top of its 450-meter-high tower, you can see the entire Pyrenean massif, including the majestic 2,838-meter-high Mont Valier. From its past as a Roman oppidum and episcopal see, Saint-Lizier has preserved some magnificent remains. The cathedral and bishop's palace are listed buildings. It is one of France's "most beautiful villages". Saint-Girons, 2 km from Saint-Lizier, is crossed by the Salat river, which joins the Garonne a little further north towards Boussen, developing a small, active center on either side of the river. Pamiers is home to the musician Gabriel Fauré, whose melancholy sonatas for violin and piano are a delight to listen to again and again. In the historic part of town, you'll discover the beautiful pink-brick Tour de la Monnaie, remnants of an ancient Renaissance mansion built when the commune was designated, in the 16th century, to house the Hôtel des Monnaies in place of Toulouse. Also worth a visit is the astonishing Musée de la Magie, with its attractive wood-panelled façade and the mysterious atmosphere of an old-fashioned show.