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The
Last
Judgement Tympanum, over the west portal of the Abbey-church of Sainte
Foy at Conques, in the Aveyron, southwest France, is one of the finest
romanesque portals in existence. Sculpted in the first half of the
twelth century, the tympanum has been remarkably well preserved to this
day, with much of the mediaeval colouring still surviving. The great
state of preservation of these mediaeval sculptures is due on the one
hand to the relatively mild climate in this part
of southwest France, on the other hand on account of this small town
being well off
the beaten track. Conques was, on the other hand, and indeed still is,
a major stopping point on the great mediaeval pilgrimage route from Le
Puy en Velay to Santiago de Compostella, in Spain. The tympanum was
designed to remind pilgrims of the reason for their long and arduous
trek across Europe - to achieve salvation (left half of the tympanum)
and avoid being cas out into Hell (right half of the tympanum).
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