Open churches


The green and ochre-coloured Vic-Bilh landscapes are attractively undulating, scattered with small churches of Roman origin hiding baroque furniture. Modest in size and built from the 11th century, their refined decorations are expressions of the rich Roman art in Gascony that was influenced by the style in Languedoc, Navarre and Aragon. Anonymous artists expressed their amazing talents in the elaborate decoration of column capitals and tympanums .


Monogram of the Vic-Bilh

Chi-Rho monograms in the Vic Bilh

 

These monograms, often found on the tympanum of churches in the North Béarn, are a symbol of Christ.

They are usually circular and composed of overlapped X and P (the letters Chi and Rho of the Greek alphabet), the first two letters of the word Christos.

Left and right of Chi-Rho are the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, the designation of Jesus according to the Book of Revelation by St. John.

At the end of the 11th c., an S was added to the descender of the P, probably to symbolize the Holy Spirit. 


Church of Cadillon (Vic-Bilh)

CADILLON

Church Saint-Martin

12th c. church with a renaissance portal opening onto a Romanesque chancel.

 



Church of Conchez-de-Béarn (Vic-Bilh)

CONCHEZ-DE-BEARN

Church Saint-Germain d'Auxerre

Church with interesting furniture: the altarpiece of the chancel, wrought iron barrier around the choir, gilded wood chandelier, wood paneling...



Church of Diusse (Vic-Bilh)

DIUSSE

Church Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Romanesque church with one of the most beautiful, richly decorated portals in the Vic-Bilh; magnificent interiors.



Church of Escurès (Vic-Bilh)

ESCURES

Church Saint-Orens

12th c. Romanesque church with 16th c. fortifications and magnificent 17th c. interiors, listed historical monument.

Walled-up south portal with a Chi Rho monogram.

 



Church of Garlin (Vic-Bilh)

GARLIN

Church Saint-Jean-Baptiste

19th c. church, featuring 31 stained glass windows by Bergès (1863).



Church of Lannecaube (Vic-Bilh)

LANNECAUBE

Church Saint-Pierre

11th and 12th c. Romanesque church with a highly decorated pillared portal.



Church Saint-Martin, Lasserre (Vic-Bilh)

LASSERRE

Church Saint-Martin

Listed 12th c. Romanesque church.

Sculpted Maltese cross, JHS monogram and lovely Romanesque portal.

Listed décor inside: altar and altarpiece, sanctuary lamp, wooden nave.

Open Tuesdays in Jul. & Aug., 14:30 to 17:00.



Church of Mascaraàs-Haron (Vic-Bilh)

MASCARAÀS-HARON

Church Saint-Jean-Baptiste

Medieval sanctuary of the castle, reconstructed in the 16th c. 17th c and 18th c. furniture: tabernacle, statues and altarpiece. 17th c. baptismal font with studded lid and columnar holy water font.

A headstone marks the location of the ancient burial chapel of the castle lords.

Historical monument.



Church of Mont-Disse (Vic-Bilh)

MONT-DISSE

Church Saint-Pierre

12th c. Romanesque church with a decorated south portal and magnificent views of the surrounding countryside.



Church of Saint-Jean-Poudge (Vic-Bilh)

SAINT-JEAN-POUDGE

Church Saint-Jean-Baptiste

11th c. church with a 12th c. chancel and beautiful narrow stained glass windows.

Sarcophagus at entrance to the Nave.

Open the Tuesdays: 9 am to 12 am and the Fridays : 12 pm to 4:30 pm.



Church of Taron (Vic-Bilh)

TARON

Church Assomption-de-la-Bienheureuse-Vierge-Marie

Church built between the 10th and the 18th c. on the site of a former Gallo-Roman villa with exceptional fragments of the 4th and 5th c. mosaics.

12th c. south chapel with a Romanesque altar.

If the church is closed, call +33 (0)6 47 60 33 01.



Closed churches


Church of Aubous (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

AUBOUS

Church Sainte Quitterie

A timeless sanctuary built in the 12th century secluded in a valley, in the proximity of an allegedly miraculous source.

The Romanesque portal has a Chi-Rho monogram and the axial apse window at the front end of the church is crowned by a delicately checkered frieze.



Church of Aurions-Idernes (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

AURIONS-IDERNES

Church Saint-Pierre

Tucked in the hillside, the church exhibits a well-balanced Romanesque portal with two 12th c. protruding arches decorated by acanthus leaves, rosettes and rinceaux (folial and floral motifs).

A Chi-Rho monogram is found on the tympanum and a small axial window can be seen in the buttress of the front end (apse) of the church.



Church of Corbère-Abères (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

CORBÈRE-ABÈRES

Church Saint-Laurent

Small charming church in a bucolic setting.

The church was built in the 12th c. and has preserved its bell tower wall and semi-circular apse.

A Chi-Rho monogram decorates the main portal.  



Church of Lembeye (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

LEMBEYE

Church de l'Assomption-de-la-Bienveilleuse-Vierge-Marie 

The gothic style building, the largest in the Vic Bilh, dates back to the early 16th c.

The porch protecting the flamboyant gothic portal is topped by a substantial bell tower.

Small sculpted stones are embedded in the North and West outer walls. 

Thirteen stained glass windows. A low narrow doorway in the South wall is believed to have been the entrance for the “cagots” (a shunned minority of the past).



Church of Maspie (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

MASPIE

Church Saint-Martin

The church of Maspie was built in the second half of the 12th c.

Its composite aspect is interesting: the Romanesque apse was raised and reinforced in the 16th c. with a checkered masonry of cobbles and cut stone, topped with crenellations.

The beautiful baroque portal is dated 1667.



Church of Samsons-Lion (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

SAMSONS-LION

Church Sainte-Madelaine

Charming little church built in the 12th c., located in the hamlet.

The Romanesque portal is decorated with a Chi-Rho monogram encircled by a beaded rim, and above a four-rowed checkered frieze decorates the tympanum.

The tabernacle dates from the 17th c.



Church of Simacourbe (Vic-Bilh/Madiran)

SIMACOURBE

Church Saint-Pierre

The church dates from the early 12th c. Stunning Romanesque portal with three tiered projecting arches and an upside down Chi-Rho monogram. The words “Pax, Lux, Lex, Rex” are inscribed on the background of the tympanum. The right-hand capital depicts David and his musicians; the one on the left portrays Abraham sacrificing Isaac. Very interesting Romanesque apse with a protruding decor, checkered frieze, oculi and buttresses.