The best walks and hikes around Colayrac-Saint-Cirq

At the time of Saint Francis of Assisi's death in 1226, the Order of Friars Minor had 240 convents, 60 of which were located throughout Aquitaine. Since some of the documents of the Cordeliers convent in Agen were destroyed during the Protestant occupation of the city, the exact date of the first convent's founding is unknown. Father B. Villate wrote in 1715 to the Bishop of Agen, François Hébert, that it was founded in 1291. But elsewhere, we know that the Cordeliers convent was founded after that of the Jacobins and before that of the Carmelites, that is, between 1240 and 1272. Bishop Pierre Jerlandi was buried in the Cordeliers church in 1271. In his will dated July 25, 1262, Amanieu d'Albret bequeathed "als frais Menors d'Agen, dus cens sols." We can therefore assume that the Cordeliers had settled in Agen before 1262. [1] Their first convent was established outside the city walls, near the Saint-Michel gate, probably in front of the Saint-Louis gate, in the enclosure of the Discalced Carmelites where tombs were found by the Discalced Carmelite Fathers, that is to say, between the streets Palissy, Mascaron, Lamouroux and the Garonne. The donations received led to the Cordeliers' convent being called the Golden Convent. For Abbot Barrère, the nickname Doré would not come from the wealth of the convent but from an alteration of the name Dovère which was given by the archbishops of Bourges to several of their houses and monasteries. This would be due to a chapel founded in the 9th century nearby by a Randulphe de Bourges. The church must have been as large as the Jacobin Church because it was here that homage was paid by the nobility and communities of the Agenais to King Edward I of England in 1286. In 1336, Philip VI of Valois, considering that the Cordeliers convent, leaning against the city walls, could be a danger in the event of a conflict with the King of England, decided to seize it and build a fortress there. He obtained permission from Pope Benedict XII on the condition that a new convent be established within the walls. Demolition of the convent began in 1338. The Friars Minor initially settled near the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Bourg but encountered hostility from the canons of Saint-Étienne Cathedral. No longer having premises in Agen, the Friars Minor appealed to the King of France. His son, Prince Jean, while in Guyenne at the time, had the destroyed convent appraised and ordered them to be paid the estimated value of 5,000 livres tournois. This sum, supplemented by other gifts, allowed them to initially settle in the Saint-Georges Hospital. However, a conflict with the Augustinians, who found them too close to their convent, forced them to move away and settle in 1345 in the Saint-Hilaire district, near the Saint-Georges Gate. To appease the criticism of the canons of Saint-Étienne, the Friars Minor gave them the marble from their first cloister. The construction of their church was completed in 1348, as on that date the Cordeliers obtained permission from the Bishop of Agen, Amanieu de Fargis, to have their cemetery blessed by Brother Philippe (Filippo de Ursone), Bishop of Ajaccio. The church follows the traditional plan of southern Gothic churches. It has a wide, single nave without a transept and is lined with shallow side chapels. It is built in half stone and half brick. It comprises three bays with ribbed vaults. The apse has seven sides. Its most interesting and remarkable feature is the inverted hull-shaped roof structure of a boat.[5] The old Cordeliers church had only a small square bell tower. The church's large windows were fitted with stained-glass windows. They are dated 1869. One of the windows bears the signature of Bordeaux master glassmaker Joseph Villiet.

This footbridge is old, dating back to 1835. But the one that exists today is no longer the one from before; it was completely rebuilt, and as it stands, it was completed in 2002. This footbridge is magnificent... it's a bit rocky if you have heavy steps, but I think you'll find it perfectly safe. For those prone to vertigo, don't look at the Garonne through the planks, and be aware that many people use this footbridge every day. On the left bank pillar, you can see a few padlocks that lovers like to place as souvenirs... They're nowhere near as numerous as on the Pont des Arts in Paris, but it's still something... In any case, it's from this footbridge that you can best observe the canal bridge as a whole. Don't miss a visit!

Construction of the Agen canal bridge was almost halted permanently due to competition from waterways and the railway. Its history is, of course, closely linked to that of the entire Canal Lateral. On August 25, 1839, the foundation stone was laid by the Duke of Orléans, eldest son of Louis-Philippe, and Princess Helene of Mecklenburg, his wife. In 1841, work was halted. The bridge would be used for a time by farmers' carts to avoid a detour via the old stone bridge. On May 5, 1846, a law mandated the resumption of work, and the bridge was completed in 1847. But that wasn't the end of the worries. This bridge could perhaps have become a railway bridge: In 1850, those who exclusively supported the railway raised the question of filling in the canal cut (in its entirety) to lay the tracks. It wasn't until March 1856 that the entire Garonne lateral canal was completed. This bridge itself is 539 meters long, 12.48 meters wide, 2.70 meters deep, and has 23 arches. The waterway is 8.80 meters wide, which prevents crossings. Holding basins were built on either side of the aqueduct. The civil engineers Jean-Baptiste de Baudre and Jean Gratien de Job were responsible for its construction. It is made entirely of freestone from Quercy.

A must-stop to have a drink, eat, sleep, get your bike repaired or buy local products. Everything is designed around cycling in a magnificent place. See their website for details. https://cafe-velo.net/

Very warm welcome!

Cafe, restaurant and hostel especially for cyclist.

I'm sorry but the river port of Agen no longer has any influence on the transport of goods and the rental of small boats has been moved to the much more active port of Buzet sur Baïse.

Spectacular canal bridge over the Garonne