-
Church of Puech MignonThe time of Puech Mignon The Early Middle AgesPuech Mignon first appeared around 972, in the will of a leading member of the southern nobility, Garsinde, widow of Raymond, known as Pons, Count of Toulouse. This controversial text does, however, reflect the existence of a dense and ancient parish and monastic fabric in this part of the Aveyron valley. The Benedictine monks of Varen, the beneficiaries of this pious donation and themselves dependent on the abbey of Saint-Géraud d'Aurillac, founded a rural priory there, which was dependent on their deanery until it was secularised in 1561.The time of wars and rebuildingThe Hundred Years' War and the Wars of Religion brought their share of destruction... and rebuilding. The 1380s saw the capture of Laguépie by men-at-arms in the service of the English and the purchase of Puech Mignon (1382), in other words the payment of a veritable war tax to dislodge them. The visitors sent in 1419 on behalf of the Bishop of Rodez were only able to collect two pounds for Puech Mignon from the Dean of Varen. The local lords, the Lautrec family, well established in the surrounding area from the 12th century and at Puech Mignon in the 14th century, rebuilt the castle and possibly the church after 1460. The north side chapel, traditionally referred to as the seigneurial chapel, probably dates from this period. In spite of this, in 1495 the bishop felt that reconstruction was necessary. 1561 saw further devastation. In 1603, Cardinal d'Ossat, dean of the Varen chapter, allocated 60 pounds to repair the nave vaults. With the resurgence of plague epidemics, devotion to Saint Roch increased. A chapel, that of the Lautrec family, has been dedicated to him since at least 1635.18th to 21st centuriesIn the 18th century, the work had to be paid for by the parish priest. However, a serious fire on 19 February 1821 meant that the church had to be completely refurbished. By the early 1870s, the church of Puech Mignon had lost even its liturgical furnishings, which the local people did their utmost to rebuild. In the meantime, it had acquired a superb tabernacle, its most prestigious ornament. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1997, it has been the subject of a restoration campaign since 1999. It features a number of rich and exceptional decorations. The altar and altarpiece were restored by Françoise Vorms, who lives in Mas-Grenier. She is a restorer of gilded and polychrome woodwork and a graduate of the Ecole Boule in Paris. The altarpiece was in a very poor state, so it was left in her workshop for a year and a half. After a lot of trouble, she did a magnificent job of repairing the woodwork and restoring the altarpiece and the altar with gold leaf. You can visit the church by asking the neighbours for the keys or by prior appointment.
-
Location
Cycle track/route less than 500 m away
All rights reserved - Communauté de communes Quercy-Rouergue & Gorges de l'Aveyron - Terms of use - Legal notice
Contact
10 rue de la Pélisserie
82140 Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val
tourisme@cc-qrga.fr
05 63 30 63 47
Additional information
Project co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development Europe invests in rural areas
English (UK) 
Français 
Español 
Nederlands