Moissac

Moissac Abbey

Moissac is known internationally for the artistic heritage preserved in the medieval Moissac Abbey. This church is a site on the World Heritage Site Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

Saint-Pierre Church, former abbey church with the portal (1130), one of the masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture. All that remains of the 11th-century building is the massive bell tower-porch, a sort of keep with a walkway, built for defensive purposes but whose top floor only dates from the end of the Gothic period.

Sights

• Church of Saint-Martin de Moissac. Parts of the church date from the 3rd century. The church has preserved paintings from the XIVth century. The church was classified as a historic monument in 1922.
• Church of Saint-Michel de Moissac. The old Saint-Michel de Moissac church located at 49 rue Malaveille, mentioned in 1073, but its origin can be older.

Population

Waterways

There are important waterways in Moissac: the Tarn flows through the centre of town, as does the Canal de Garonne (formerly Canal latéral à la Garonne), the extension of the Canal du Midi from Toulouse to Bordeaux. Together, these two canals are sometimes known as the Canal des deux mers (lit. canal of the two seas) connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.

Twin towns

• Astorga, Spain