The Conques Summer School of Vernacular Architecture
26th of August to 7th of September 2026
Application deadline⎟27th of March 2026
Why Conques ?
The vernacular architecture of Conques has emerged over centuries from the creativity of man in his natural environment: hills of sandstone and schist, oak, chestnut and walnut trees, red clay...
The village wakes in a bed of mist and lays to rest in a slowly setting sun. Great imagination invented here the most vivid forms of art, such as the tympanum of the Romanesque abbey church of Sainte-Foix. This venerable 12th-century church with its two stone bell towers is an important stage on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Every day, dozens of pilgrims stop at Conques for a night or two. Both single walkers and groups of friends come from every continent to strengthen their souls through contact with nature and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world for a few days. In the evening, tired from a long walk, they linger on a restaurant terrace to contemplate the dying rays of the sun as they sink into the forest across the valley. Conques is plunged into darkness. And the shadows that dance across the stone facades as night-time strollers go by conjure up long-lost legends.
The village resonates with stories of days gone by, when the monk Aronidse stole the relics of Sainte-Foy d'Agen to give them to his abbey in Conques, or when the armies of the King of France devastated Occitania in search of the Albigensian heretics... These resounding tales of crusades, pious petty theft, knight-poets, cavalcades and Romanesque devotion have shaped the history and identity of the village of Conques. Its architecture, both modest and endearing, bears the hallmark of peril, courage and piety in the Middle Ages.
Observe, measure & draw
Course Programme
Conques Summer School of Architecture & Crafts
Lectures & round tables
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History of Languedoc and the village of Conques
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Vernacular villages in the Aveyron & the Cévennes regions: form,
architecture & construction -
Introduction to Romanesque architecture
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Art and Aesthetics from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance
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Dry stone construction, stone masonry & stone carving
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Traditional carpentry
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Traditional joinery
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Tips and advices for the future
Drawing sessions
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Introduction to geometry: principal forms & arches
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Urban fabric: Blocks, buildings & streets
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Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy
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Arcades & columns
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Dry stone construction (walls, roofs & pavements)
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Stone carving (doors & windows frames, stairs & ornaments)
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Carpentry: walls, floors & roofs trusses
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Joinery: doors, windows & staircases
Hiking
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Drawing in the nature: what is taken from the forest to build?
Craft workshops
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Naturalistic ornamentations & ceramic workshop
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Natural paintings
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Illumination workshop
A glimpse of the 2024 edition (Instagram video)
The teachers
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
DATES⎟26th of August to 7th of September, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE⎟27th of March 2026
COURSE LOCATION⎟Conques, France
COURSE LANGUAGE ⎟English
COURSE TIMETABLE⎟9.30 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday
Sunday⎟Free time or hiking in the Lot Valley
FEES⎟1 650 EUR
The fees includes:
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The lectures, drawing sessions, crafts workshops & heritage site visits,
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The drawing (which will belong to you) and crafts materials,
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The accommodation in a mansion house in the village of Conques,
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The breakfasts served daily at 8.30 am,
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A daily afternoon snack & drink,
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The evening meals served daily at 7 pm,
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The 29/08 & 6/09 lunches, two lunches in restaurants in Conques & a picnic in the hills.
La Table Ronde de l'Architecture does its utmost to offer as many scholarships as possible to participants in its summer schools who are most in need. Scholarships are either partial or full, awarded at the discretion of the TRA's education committee based on the applicant's letter of motivation and supporting documents (e.g. proof of a previous university scholarship).
Thank you to our donors and sponsors who made this possible.
ACCOMMODATION LOCATION⎟La Maison de Conques
The accommodation includes:
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The bed linen
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A shower towel
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Shared shower rooms
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A fitted kitchen
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A dining room
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A living room
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A large terrace
TRANSPORT TO CONQUES⎟train & bus
COME TO CONQUES BY WALK BY THE COMPOSTELLE ROUTES⎟information
How to Apply
Minimum age: 18 years old
Important: Only complete applications will be considered.
Please send all required documents before 27 March 2026
by email to: contact@latablerondearchitecture.com
Email subject: Application CSSVA 2026 – Full Name
Required information
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Personal details: full name, full postal address, phone number, date of birth
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Title and background: e.g., carpenter, architecture student, historian, architect, urbanist, doctor, etc. + relevant details (school, company, institution)
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Cover letter in English or French (PDF, max 2 pages)
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Three hand drawings in ONE PDF (e.g., measured drawing of a door, window, façade, construction details, etc.)
