Do you know the way to Saint Papoul?

I’m guessing you probably don’t, but I could be wrong! Saint-Papoul is a charming village, situated about eight kilometres from Castelnaudary, and a ten minute drive from our house. Saint-Papoul is mainly known for its beautiful abbey, but it also has other interesting historic buildings and a picturesque setting. It’s definitely a hidden gem!

As is often the case with us, we finally made it to the abbey when we had a friend staying. The abbey is well-preserved, and dates back to the 8th century, featuring stunning Romanesque architecture. Visitors can explore the abbey’s church, cloister, and other architectural elements that provide a glimpse into the region’s rich history. Here’s a link to the abbey’s website: https://abbaye-saint-papoul.com/

We visited on a quiet day, with dramatic weather! You can see the gathering clouds in the image above. This is the entrance to the abbey which gave little away to what we might find inside. I spotted this gate set in the wall on the left. Despite being marked ‘private’, I would have loved to discover what lay beyond!

We took a self-guided tour of the Abbey which led us from the reception area into the monk’s refectory. This contained an exhibition dedicated to the Master of Cabestany. This was the name given to an anonymous sculptor who produced stone carvings in the second half of the 12th century. The carvings in the exhibition are reproductions but you can see the original carvings on the outside of the Abbey.

His human figures have triangular-shaped heads, with large almond-like eyes. I found them peculiar but striking.

The Church, or cathedral as it is also known, was impressive and some of the splendour was unexpected. I was too busy looking to take many photos! The range of styles from different periods was surprising and included Baroque guilding, Romanesque features and a Gothic chapel.

However, the part I liked the most was the cloisters. I’ve always loved cloisters. These are 14th century, built in a Gothic style, probably on the site of the original Romanesque cloister.

On this trip, we didn’t visit the village of Saint-Papoul. That will be for another occasion. If you happen to be staying in the area or just passing through, I would say the abbey is worth a visit, particularly if you are interested in culture and history.