Église Saint-Christophe

English translation

The text above is the record as published by the Ministère de la Culture, in French. The English below is a machine translation made by TreeAlive, not by the Ministère de la Culture; it has not been checked by a person. Where the two differ, the original is the record. Report a translation error: privacy@treealive.com

History

The first mention of the church dates to 1496, the date at which this curacy was united with the episcopal manse of Saint-Papoul. The building is certainly earlier. It has a single nave of four bays covered with false rib vaults separated by double-stepped pointed arches. The nave is bordered on the north by three lateral chapels which open by large pointed arches and are vaulted on rib vaults. The sacristy, to the north of the chevet, presents the same characteristics as the chapels (1514). To the south, two chapels are doubtless less ancient. Above the entrance rises the bell tower constructed in the late 19th century. The old bell tower stood in the north-west corner and appears to correspond to the keep of the old castle (11th century). The rear wall of the choir is almost entirely occupied by 15th-century painted decoration, executed in four horizontal registers. The first is occupied by a decoration of pleated draperies; the second and third by a row of trilobed arches within which are placed figures of saints and scenes from the life of Christ; the fourth resembles the two previous ones except that the haloed figures are placed beneath simple round arches. Probing on the lateral walls of the choir also revealed fragments of painted decoration.