Cathédrale Ste-Marie

Toulouse, Gers & Vallée du Tarn


Even travellers weary of traipsing around yet another French church will be delighted by Auch’s Unesco World Heritage–listed cathedral, a flamboyant late-Gothic to Renaissance building with limestone towers rising imperiously from Auch’s main square. Don’t miss the astonishing choir, where 67 intricate wood carvings depict apostles, saints, Greek sages and pagan prophetesses. Look for Judith holding the severed head of Holophernes, and St Martha with a tamed tarasque (dragon) by her feet. Eighteen impressive stained-glass windows, dating from 1513, beam down from above.

The cathedral’s first stone was laid in 1489 and it was completed two centuries later. But this ornate edifice truly gained its wow factor during the 17th century, when the shops clustered around it were cleared, allowing it to dominate Auch’s main square. Behind the cathedral, the 14th-century, 40m-high Tour d'Armagnac (closed to the public) was built to house the archive of Auch's archbishops, and briefly served as a prison during the Revolution.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Toulouse, Gers & Vallée du Tarn attractions

1. Escalier Monumental

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These 374 stone steps flow luxuriantly from place Salinis, behind Auch’s cathedral, to bd Sadi Carnot by the Gers River, over a drop of 35m. Scenic…

2. Lectoure

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3. Abbaye de Flaran

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4. Château du Busca Maniban

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This magnificent château, 10km south of Condom on the D229, has been distilling Armagnac since the mid-17th century. It's not the place for a guided…

5. Les Jardins de Coursiana

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These landscaped gardens in La Romieu were laid out in 1974 by a local agricultural engineer. More than 700 trees and rare plants flourish in the four…

6. Collégiale St-Pierre

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A twin-towered medieval church and cloisters is the focal point of tiny La Romieu, 12km northeast of Condom. This lonely village outpost first sprang up…

7. Marché au Gras

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Stock up on local produce like homemade jams, cheeses, liqueur-steeped pâté and bottles of Armagnac at this twice-weekly food market.

8. Cathédrale St-Pierre

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The foundations of this formidable cathedral date back to 1011, when the site hosted a Benedictine abbey. The cathedral was rebuilt in Flamboyant Gothic…