It was now time to venture further afield. Julie and I took a 308 bus from the Gare Routière close to the Gare St Roch railway station. The buses to St Guilhem don’t go all that often. You can only catch one bus that goes as far as St Guilhem from Montpellier at 1225 to Cignac where you have to change, waiting only five minutes and arriving at St Guilhem at 1325. Then you have to do your exploring quite quickly, if you’re not going to stay the night, because the only bus all the way back again leaves at 1700!! The cost of each bus varies, depending on whether you’ve just taken the previous bus!! But all in all, it was about E5 each - return.
But the adventure with the buses definitely paid off. St Guilhem-le-Désert is a ‘must see’. The environment is hostile and seemed to become more so as we crossed the River Verdus shortly before arriving – although it was another very murky day. But the locals assured us that it was very pretty in the sunshine!
Julie and I popped into the information centre first, not quite like any we’d seen before!
Then we considered the history of the village as we made our way through the enchanting ancient streets and reached the village square, in front of the abbey.
The pamphlets told us that in 804, Guillaume, Count of Toulouse, visited the hermitage of Gellone and chose, two years later, to become a monk himself in the Gellone Valley. Once there, he initiated a popular cult to worship the True Cross, received from his cousin Charlemagne.
On his death in 812, history gradually became legend and Guillaume became a saint, honoured throughout the middle ages. The village of Gellone also became a centre for contemplation and a starting place on the pilgrims’ road to Santiago de Compostela. The abbey, now named not Gellone but Saint Guilhem, was rebuilt in the 11th century. You can see the famous Château de Giants in the background.
Here is the amazing marble altar. It was on 15 August 1077, so the inscription beside the altar reads, that it was consecrated for the first time in honour of Saint Guilhem, in recognition of the importance of the abbey on the pilgrims route to Santiago de Compostelle. The consecration was carried out by a legate to Pope Gregory VII. A century later, that altar was replaced by the one in the photo. It’s a rare piece, inspired by the Byzantines and probably imported from Italy. The body of the altar is of white marble, from Paros in Greece and the table and the base are of black marble, from Lydie in Turkey. The two panels depict, on the left, Christ in all his glory and on the right, a beautiful crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John, the sun, the moon and, at the foot of the cross, those who have risen.
From 1465, abbeys declined during the wars of religion in the 15th century. The abbey was sacked before it was sold. The cloister served as a quarry and its sculptures were removed. An art enthusiast collected 148 pieces which were sold, on his death, in New York and now form the centerpiece of the Cloisters Museum there. Only the parish church was preserved. Had I known when I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York that The Cloisters was the branch of the Met devoted to the art and architecture of medieval Europe – and that I’d be going to Saint Guilhem. I might have lingered there for longer!
The abbey’s historic organ was built in 1782 by the celebrated organ maker, J.P. Cavaillé. It’s breathtaking and is said to be one of the most magnificent examples of classic French pipe organs. There is a Saint Guilhem music season when a festival of baroque organ and choral music is held in the abbey.
The abbey is considered to be a masterpiece of Romanesque Art and in 1960 a programme of restoration was started, which still continues. The village grew up along the left bank of the Verdus. Bus timetables allowing, there are several walks recommended from the central square, varying in distance from half an hour to over two hours. We decided that catching the bus overcame our desire to explore even further so we made our way back down the ancient winding streets following the footsteps of so many pilgrims before us.
This stunning medieval village, which clings to a hillside on the pilgrim’s way, is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, as you can see from the plaque below. It‘s a beauty spot, packed with history.
Santiago de Compostelle is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s located in the northwest region of Spain in the Province of A Coruňa. It was the European City of Culture for the year 2000. The city’s cathedral is the destination of the important mediaeval pilgrimage route.