Chapelle Sainte-Catherine du port d'Auvillar

Auvillar

Auvillar, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, overlooks the Garonne from its spur; but its boatmen's soul lies hidden below, in the port district, in the modest chapel of Sainte-Catherine. A 9th-century chrismon discovered above the doorway attests to the Carolingian origins of the sanctuary, mentioned as early as the 12th century in the local customs, at a time when boats paid the toll at the port of the viscounty. Between 1305 and 1314, Pope Clement V — whose brother, Arnaud Garcie de Goth, was Viscount of Auvillar — ordered its rebuilding. The chapel is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, patroness of boatmen: generations of river folk prayed to her before facing the whims of the Garonne, and their ex-votos, including some astonishing model ships, are kept in the museum of old Auvillar. The interior retains 18th-century painted decoration beneath which traces of paintings, probably from the 14th century, show through. The old chemin du Peyrat, which stitches the village to its port, belongs to the Via Podiensis: pilgrims from Le Puy-en-Velay bound for Compostela (GR 65) still pass through Auvillar between Moissac and Saint-Antoine, pausing beneath the circular market hall with its Tuscan columns before crossing the Garonne — as did the jacquets of old, who entrusted the river crossing to the protection of Saint Catherine. The chapel has been registered as a historic monument since 1980.

Getting there : Port district, rue Sainte-Catherine, below the village on the banks of the Garonne; from the circular market hall of Auvillar, go down the old chemin du Peyrat that linked the town to its port (10–15 minutes on foot). Chapel visible from outside, opened occasionally.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound