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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The upper city of Saint-Bertrand-de-Cominges is the heritage of the urban changes of the late antiquity. Built between the 4th quarter of the 4th century and the 1st quarter of the 5th century, it meets a growing need for protection in the face of invasions and the weakening of Roman central power. This rampart, 875 meters long, covers a triangular surface of 4 hectares on a rocky spur at 515 m above sea level, strategically dominating the accesses to Spain, Toulouse and Tarbes. Perched with three doors (east, west, south), its layout follows the natural topography, with internal elevations partially destroyed or modified in the early Middle Ages after the franque capture of 585.

In the Middle Ages (XIIth-XIIIth centuries), the enclosure is restored and adapted for both defensive and urban reasons, in particular to enlarge the living space around the cathedral. The doors were redesigned in the 16th-17th centuries to facilitate access, while the south gate was destroyed in the 19th century. Today, its massive appearance remains well preserved, except on the north and north-east flanks, where modern breakthroughs (houses of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries) altered its original appearance. This monument illustrates the transition between ancient and medieval urban planning, typical of Pyrenean cities such as Saint-Lizier (Ariège) or Saint-Lézer (Hautes-Pyrénées).

Saint-Bertrand-de-Cominges, formerly Lugdunum Convenarum, was a prosperous capital of Gallo-Roman civitas with thermal baths, theatre and forum. After its decline in the 5th century, the city re-centered on the upper city, protected by this enclosure. In the 11th century, Bishop Bertrand de l'Isle (canonized in 1222) revived his influence by building the cathedral and cloister. The enclosure then becomes a symbol of episcopal power, later integrated into the paths of Compostela. Ranked at the Historical Monuments in 1998, it bears witness to 1,600 years of history, from Gaulish Convens to medieval pilgrims.

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