Saint-Girons Church, Monein, France

L'église Saint-Girons edifice is in the Gothic architectural style. Its grand size made it the largest Gothic church in Béarn in the 15th century. It is most famous for its heart of oak frame which represents the Medieval architecture style.

In the 16th century, Monein was a growing village with over 5,000 residents. The old Romanesque church Sant-Pée became too small for the residents, so it was decided to build a larger church next to the Lay Abbey (which no longer exists).

The size of the new church should be proportional to the wealth of the village; the Église Saint-Girons of Monein is over 61 m long, 16 m wide and 31 m high.

Construction of the church began in 1464 and was completed in 1530. During the 70 years of construction, residents paid for the work through numerous taxes and built the church with their own hands.

Queen Jeanne d'Albret of Navarre transformed the church into a Protestant church, however the church returned to Catholicism under the Édit d'intégration du Béarn (Edict of Integration of Béarn), promulgated by King Louis XIII of France (who was also Louis I of Navarre at that time). The church was then refurnished and it still retains a large Baroque-style altarpiece and 17th century organs from Toulouse today.

The Église Saint-Girons was restored in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Its heart of oak frame is now a tourist attraction.

References:

Wikipedia

Religious sites in France

User Reviews

Steve Lacroix (5 months ago)
On vacation in Monein with my son, we visited this imposing church with an unparalleled history, and dimensions that have nothing to envy of our dear Notre-Dame. A gripping guided tour, caught up in the story, you don't let go until the last minute. What can we say about the framework which is a monument in itself, breathtaking. Thank you Cagots....?. The sound and light, however, is not up to the standard of the building, it is unfortunately dated, but even without it, the visit is more than worth the detour. This little town really holds a treasure with this church.

Arlette G. (7 months ago)
beautiful building, too bad it is landlocked which prevents beautiful photos. The models give an idea of the architecture. It is possible to visit the framework but at fixed times. Too bad for me.

John (12 months ago)
Really good visit with audio guide in English if needed. Wonderful history for this church and crazy carpentry.

Géraldine Godard (13 months ago)
To discover, there are no two like that

Bruno Alberti (Orso Bruno) (2 years ago)
From an architectural point of view, it is a work of art, considering when it was built, with the means of the time. In particular, the roof structure remains an example for today's designers. It is not for nothing that they copied it to rebuild Notre Dame.

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