30 km west of Montauban, this major centre of Romanesque art in France is also an important fruit center, bathed by the river Tarn and the Canal de Garonne.
Moissac, a busy town, enjoys an international reputation due to its Abbey Saint-Pierre and its cloister, listed as a World Heritage Site.Founded in the 9th century, the Abbey of Moissac had for centuries a considerable influence. It was and remains a major stop on the roads to Santiago de Compostela.With a spellbinding serenity, the cloister dedicated in the year 1100 unfolds its 4 galleries adorned with 76 superb capitals, historiated or decorative. There is no other example in the world of a cloister of this period that has survived in its entirety.The tympanum of the Abbey is also one of the masterpieces of Romanesque sculpture.Equipped with a nice marina, Moissac is also the starting point for walks on the Canal de Garonne, punctuated by locks and works of art (see the impressive canal bridge of 1847).We will also stroll along the promenade that runs along the water of the Tarn between the Napoleon bridge, the Moissac mill (today a hotel) and the Uvarium, Art Deco style, which provided toning cures based on grape juice.Moissac is indeed the homeland of the famous AOC Chasselas grapes, the first fresh fruit to benefit from an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée. Raised on the hillsides around, "King Chasselas" gives rise to joyous celebrations in September. It helps to make Moissac the fruit capital of Tarn-et-Garonne, a department ranked among the first for the production of plums, apples, melons and grapes. PROGRAMMING