Day 12 Visit to Refuge Les Franciscains

We had only 15 kms to walk today so we had a late start so we could visit the Refuge Les Franciscains - a beautifully restored Franciscan monastery, now a cultural centre, peaceful gardens and accommodation and information centre that welcomes modern day pilgrims.

We left the monastery around 10. An hour later after a long climb, we would see the striking tall wooden sculptures, by Christian Lapie, entitled ‘Dans le Reflet du Ciel’ - in the reflection of heaven.

A translation regarding the sculptures.

CHRISTIAN LAPIE'S SCULPTURES IN SAINT-PALAIS

Accessible on foot from the Chemin du Vezelay or by the "Xibaltare" path, you find Christian LAPIE's monumental work, "Dans le Reflet du Ciel", installed at the top of Mont-Sauveur.

There, three great oak figures watch over this millennial path in a magnificent overview, from the high Pyrenean peaks to the Ocean.

"De l'Air et du Ciel", a superb set of seven other figures, has also found its place in the centre of the renovated cloister, a place to the measure of this great artist.Read more