Exploring Ancient Churches in the South of the Gers

Three years ago, Papa and I visited a couple of painted churches that we never forgot.  We went back today.  Our first stop was at L’Eglise Romane St. Michel, near Sansan.  The door was locked but we enjoyed seeing the “end of road” church, next to a Paleosite. 

We stopped at Église Sainte-Gemme, founded in 1074, and added to and renovated through the 19th century.  Sainte-Gemme was also closed.  It has an excellent written history on a plaque at the entrance.

Our next stop was at Église Saint-Laurent in Mont-d’Astarac, with some of the most memorable murals we’ve ever seen, painted in the 1400’s.  We lingered at Saint-Laurent.  The murals represent the Last Supper, the Last Judgment, a Resurrection of the Dead shows the chosen heading towards Paradise, Hell with details of tortures, the Tree of Jesse, and more.  All are unlike anything we’ve ever seen elsewhere!  There is a well known tower across the street from Église Saint-Laurent.

We continued south to Notre-Dame de Garaison, near Monleon-Magnoac.  The legend of the Blessed virgin appearing three times to a local young shepherdess, and saying to her “I want a chapel to be built here,” was the impetus for the present chapel to be built.  It was completed in 1540, with beautiful vaults decorated with painted biblical scenes and 16th century peasant life.  A school was established there in 1840, after the French Revolution, and continues today as a private school for 700 students.  The campus was used as an internment camp for German families between 1914 and 1919.  The campus has historic photos exhibited on the campus.  It is a beautiful place.  

We had lunch at the Michelin recommended restaurant, La Taulada in Castelnau-Magnoac.  It was delicious!  Castelnau-Magnoac sits on a hill, overlooking a lake below to the north and to the Pyrenees to the south.  

We visited several other églises along the way, Église de l’Assomption in Belloc-Saint-Clamens, 

Église Notre-Dame-de-la-Pitié,

Église Saint-Dode, with nice views to the Pyrenees over the fields, 

And we went to the tiny Chapelle Saint-Clamens, built in the 11th century over a Gallo-Roman temple built in the 400’s.  The chapel has faint murals painted on the walls in the 1500’s.  The chapel is located in the middle of a wheat field.  We enjoyed beautiful landscapes to get there!

We are staying overnight at Patio des Rêves B&B and we plan to watch the Tour de France pass us by tomorrow afternoon.  We’ve had a good day!

Lundi Nuit

The first of summer 2025’s Lundi Nuit was on Monday evening.  Papa and I walked up and down Rue Nationale and decided to eat Asian food from a kiosk on the street, that we had tried before.  We stopped for desserts of a crepe for Papa and ice cream for me.  Just as we finished our desserts, a band was playing down the street.  It was a festive evening!  We came home around 9:15 and went up to our fourth floor balcony to watch the sunset.  We had a nice evening!