Basilique Saint-Fris

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

Built on the tomb of saint Fris, who is said to have died in 732 while fighting the Saracens, the church of Bassoues was from the outset a place of pilgrimage, equipped with a crypt. Dependent in the 11th century on the abbey of Pessan, then in the 13th century on the archbishops of Auch, the church then probably served as a parish church. Around 1520, Mgr de Clermont-Lodève had it restored and decorated with two portals in Renaissance style, to the west and south. Severely damaged in 1570 during the Wars of Religion, the chapel was restored in the 17th century. Partially destroyed during the Revolution, it was largely rebuilt between 1847 and 1857. The church today presents a long nave of four bays bordered by aisles, leading to a very elongated choir, raised, and itself built on the crypt sheltering the sarcophagus of saint Fris. The elevations are in medium and large dressed ashlar of limestone and pink sandstone, with a few courses of brick.