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The tympanum of the last Judgement

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Details of heaven

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Christ as supreme judge

In an arcade of glory, wearing the priestly coat, Christ supremely sat down judges ; on the cruciferous nimbus, there is one inscription : "Judex et Rex", that is "king and judge". With his right hand, he shows the Heaven to the Chosen Ones : "Come you who are blessed by my Father" ; with his left hand, he shows the Hell to the reprobate ones : "Away from me, you that are under God's curse" (Mat 25,31). Above, there is Christ's cross raised between sun and moon ; this cross is the centre of the Creation, of the World, of History : "This cross will be in the Heaven when Christ will come and judge" (Mat 24,30). On each side of the cross, two angels sound the horn for the final union of humanity (Mat 24,31).

The Chosen Ones' procession

On the right of Christ, onto streamers held by four angels, we can read the theological virtues : faith, hope, charity, humility. A procession of confident saints and figures is following, on the move towards Christ. After him, we can see : the Blessed Virgin Mary ; Saint Pierre, his keys in the hand ; the hermit Dadon, founder of Conques' monastery at the end of the VIIIth century ; the abbot Odolric, first builder of the current church, who holds the hand of Charlemagne which liberalities allowed the construction or the completion of a previous church on the same place. Behind the emperor, some member of his family carry the reliquaries he could have given to the abbey-church. Then, we can see : Saint Jérôme ; Saint Caprais, Agen's bishop and Saint Alberte, Saint Foy's sister who was also beheaded. Finally, there is a woman miraculously saved by Saint Foy. In the corner, the last in the row is Arosnide, the famous monk who perpetrated the pious theft which brought to Conques Saint Foy's relics stolen in Agen and carried in this place after many adventures.

Saint Foy

Three small arches represent Conques' church. Under these arches and hung, there are the chains of the Christian prisoners who have been relieved of the Moors' hands by Saint Foy ; between the arches, there are one altar, a chalice, an abbey stall. Saint Foy, patron of Conques' church, is prostrated at prayer behind God's hand who comes out the clouds and blesses her.

The Resurrection

Helped by angels who lift up the funerary stones, the dead come out of their sepulchres.

The heavenly Jerusalem

In the centre, Abraham welcome the Chosen Ones. On his left, there are the Old Testament's prophets carrying the scrolls and the New Testament's apostles carrying the book. On his right, there are the martyrs carrying the palm and the dish, the holy women holding a flask of perfume and the good virgins carrying their kindled lamp in one hand and holding the book opened in the other hand (Mat 25,1-13) ; hung to the vaults, the "calels" from Rouergue (oil-lamps) provide the lighting of the eternal kingdom.

The weighing of souls

Only two pans remain of the weighing machine. On one side, there is the archangel Saint Michel, on the other side a roguish demon who presses with his finger onto one of the pans in order to make it tip in his favour but in vain.

The door to Heaven

Behind the door adorned with carved strap hinges, one angel welcomes the Chosen Ones who hold hands and jostle each other to get in as if they were frightened by the demon and the terrible scene on the opposite side.

Texts from Jean-Claude FAU Editions of Beffroi - Regional Council of Aveyron Photographs from André KUMURDJIAN Translation from Valérie FABRE

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