Between Heaven and Earth

 

 From The Connexion:

Known for being one of the ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’ because of its impeccably preserved medieval buildings perched atop a steep hill in the Pyrenees, Saint-Bertrandde-Comminges is actually something of a new kid on the block.

Some 2,000 years ago the great Roman general Pompey founded a settlement here on his victorious return from war in Spain. Built both on the rocky outcrop of the current town and on the plain at its foot, the town was populated with prisoners of war Pompey had brought from Spain. Although this deportation was likely a cynical Roman colonising tool, the new inhabitants not only put down roots here, they thrived.

The settlement enjoyed a golden age during the 2nd Century, with a forum, baths, a 5000-seat theatre, and a Roman temple. 

By the early 5th Century the future Avignon pope Clement V ensured the city’s ongoing success by translating (the ecclesiastical term for solemnly moving) Saint Bertrand’s relics in a bejewelled chest to the cathedral. From then on the steep paths leading to the cathedral thronged with pilgrims, and the minuscule city became an essential stop on the route to Santiago. (Read more.)