Page 428 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

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ABBAYE DE ST-PIERRE

! D6 ⌂ Moissac, Tarn-et-Garonne # Hours vary, check website n 6 pl Durand de
Bredon; www.tourisme.moissac.fr
At the core of the otherwise unremarkable riverside town of Moissac is the
EXPERIENCE The Dordogne Romanesque architecture. Founded in the 9th century by a Benedictine monk,
exquisite abbey of St-Pierre, one of the undisputed masterpieces of French
the abbey was subsequently ransacked by Arabs, Normans and Hungarians,
before it became a pre-eminent monastery.

The abbey’s exterior belongs to two periods: one part, in stone, is
Romanesque; the other, in brick, is Gothic. The abbey is known above
all for its superb south portal and tympanum, built over 30 years from
1100 to 1130, a masterful translation into stone of St John’s dramatic
vision of the Apocalypse (Book of Revelation). The Evangelists
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John appear as “four beasts full of eyes”.
Moorish details on the door jambs and pillars reflect the contem­
porary cultural exchange between France and Spain. In 1998,
the church and cloisters were bestowed UNESCO protection
as part of the broader World Heritage Site, the “Routes of
Santiago de Compostela in France”.

FESTIVAL DES VOIX
IN MOISSAC
This hugely popular
world music festival
(www.moissac-culture.
fr) stages some 80
con certs every June
in Moissac and in the
surrounding villages.
Many are free and held
in the magical setting
of Moissac’s beautiful
abbey clois ters, as well
as in châteaux and
town squares. The
emphasis is on vocal
music and ranges from
fado and chanson to
Italian folk music and
Algerian raï.

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