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The statue of D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. The statue was created by sculptor Zurab Tsereteli and erected here in the heart of the town in 2010 in honor of d’Artagnan who was born in this area in 1611 and joined the Musketeers in 1632.

Condom, a former episcopal city crossed by the Baïse River, is renowned for its Saint-Pierre Cathedral and its Armagnac-related past. In front of the cathedral stands the famous statue of the Four Musketeers (D'Artagnan and his companions), a tribute to Alexandre Dumas' novel and the famous captain's Gascon roots.

Don't miss La Romieu to greet Angeline and the cats. I didn't see any, at least not alive ones. I didn't stop there either. To get there, I took the 6 km road; you can also get there via the GR (Greater French National Trail). Its Saint-Pierre collegiate church, a 14th-century Gothic masterpiece listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is imposing. Now for the legend... Around 1342, a terrible famine struck La Romieu. The starving inhabitants went so far as to eat all the cats in the village, thinking they were preserving their meager resources. But a little girl named Angeline, an orphan taken in by a local couple, adored cats. She hid two in the cellar, secretly feeding them, and then they bred. A little later, with all the cats gone, the village was invaded by thousands of rats, destroying the meager grain reserves and causing an even worse disaster. It was then that Angeline freed her cats. They multiplied again, drove out the rats, and saved the village. Angeline was honored by the villagers, and according to legend, her face took on the appearance of a cat, with feline features—a magical transformation to thank her love and loyalty to cats. Today, in tribute to this story, numerous cat statues adorn the streets, facades, and rooftops of the village.

Pretty chapel, and space designed for a comfortable stop (tables, shelters, toilets, etc.). When I was there, the chapel was closed. Find out about the opening dates if you want to see the interior.

The "Saint-Pierre" cathedral in Condom was dedicated to Saint Peter. Simon, nicknamed Peter (Rock), was a fisherman on Lake Genesareth when he was called - together with his brother Andrew - by Jesus Christ to be a "fisher of men". According to Catholic understanding, he is the highest apostle, and the two thousand year long line of popes - currently Francis - are his successors. In statues and paintings, Peter is almost always depicted with two keys in his hand; this attribute refers to the Bible verse in Matthew: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Chapter 16, Verse 19). Peter is also known together with Paul as the "prince of the apostles"; their common feast day in the calendar of saints is June 29th.

I am truly more than surprised to find this church. But in the country that hosts the "Tour de France", which is so important beyond its borders, there must be a place of worship like this.

On May 18, 1959, cycling world champion André Darrigade left his jersey, thus starting a tradition. In summer, the church is open in the morning and afternoon. In autumn, unfortunately, it is only open in the afternoon from 3 p.m., so we were unable to visit.

Marsolan is located 6 km from Lectoure, city of art and history, whose heritage is to be discovered: mansions, cathedrals, monuments full of history.