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The present parish church replaced the old church of Sainte Madeleine whose ruins can still be visited at the foot of the castle hill, but above the medieval village site. |
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The decision to build this church as made in 1665 at a meeting of villagers that took place at Mayran. In order to reduce expenditures, it was decided to build it against the old village wall; the bell tower would sit atop one of the corner towers of the medieval fortifications. This origin gives the church a rather unique imposing stature. |
| The actual construction of the church was rather painstaking, as the community lacked the funds necessary to complete this massive project all at once. It was blessed and ready for mass on August 22 1700, although not yet complete. Since the vaulted nave was not yet built, a tall wall split the church down the middle. All was finally finished in 1715, complete with the priest's home and sacristy, built against the church on the southwest.
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The facade of the church was built into and onto the thick medieval village wall - the defensive elements of the fortification can still be seen in the tall wall. Originally, entry was by a door in the north wall, now filled in, or by the still-used small southern door. The present western portal was built in 1809. |
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The bell-tower, built as mentioned on a corner tower of the original fortifications, was called the "Tour de l'Oume" or "Elm tree tower" and indeed, until 1960 a huge Elm grew next to the tower. Several centuries old, its upper branches reached as high as the bells. The top of the tower, of a rare octagonal form, is capped by a flat stone dome. |
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