Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Bouzonnet, located in Bouzon-Gellenave in Gers, presents a rectangular plan finished with an apse arched in cul-de-four, characteristic of Romanesque architecture. Dating from the 11th and 12th centuries for its eastern part, it is decorated with billets and two sculpted caps with a man's head and an ox's head. These ornamental elements, typical of Southern Romanesque art, emphasize its seniority and its role in the local religious heritage.

The western nave, probably rebuilt in the late Middle Ages, is similar to the late Gothic southern portal (15th century). The west façade bears the traces of a buttress that is now extinct, while the bell tower has an arcade, partially re-edited, overlooking the building. These modifications illustrate the successive adaptations of the building over the centuries, mixing Romanesque and Gothic influences.

Inside, an 18th-century wooden high altar and a piece of woodwork remain, remains of liturgical furniture today dispersed. By order of 7 March 1975, the chapel belongs to the commune. Its present state, marked by signs of wear and reshuffle, reflects a complex history, between worship, partial abandonment and heritage preservation.

The location of the chapel, reported as "passable" (note 5/10) in the databases, corresponds to the approximate address of the place called Le Begue. This geographical positioning, in a rural area of Gers, refers to a historical context where chapels of this type served as gathering places for dispersed agricultural communities, often far from the main parishes.

The absence of sources detailing the patrons or the precise uses of the chapel limits the knowledge of its social role. However, its hybrid architecture – novel for the choir, Gothic for the nave – suggests an evolution linked to liturgical needs and available resources. The zoomorphic and anthropomorphic sculptures of the caps could evoke protective symbols or references to biblical accounts, common in medieval iconography.

Finally, protection under the Historic Monuments in 1975 underscores its heritage value, despite a furniture now reduced to a few elements. The Bouzonnet chapel thus embodies a modest architectural heritage but representative of the constructive and religious dynamics of medieval and modern Occitanie.

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