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Origin and history

The Saint-Pierre parish church, located in Saint-Pierre-du-Mont in Les Landes, is a Catholic religious building dating back to the late 11th century. Built by the monks of the abbey of Saint-Sever, it was one of the three priories of this abbey near the confluence of the Twelve and the Midou. From this Romanesque period, there remains a triconque bedside in small apparatus, composed of three arched apses in cul-de-four arranged around a square surmounted by a tower-clocher. The central and southern apses, as well as the tower, are adorned with a billeted entablement and carved modillons, reminiscent of the motifs of the Abbey of Saint-Sever.

The interior of the church, initially sober, was embellished at the end of the eighteenth century by the brothers Mazzetti, Swiss sculptors, who realized a stucco decoration concealing the dome and a master altar in polychrome marble. The building, largely ruined during the religious wars, was transformed into a forage warehouse in 1795 before being returned to worship during the Concordat. In the 19th century, the church was enlarged by the addition of two collaterals (1887-1888), and the nave was consolidated in 1988, resulting in the disappearance of the 19th century decorations and frescoes of Marie Baranger (circa 1941).

Among the remarkable elements are an 18th-century carved oak door, statues of Saint Peter, the Virgin to the Child and Saint Louis (represented by Louis XVI), as well as an organ of thirty games inaugurated in 2000, built by Bernard Raupp. The church also houses contemporary works, such as a Virgin with Child (2001) by Lydie Arickx and a Resurrection (2009) by Pascal Daudon. Its choir and bell tower, classified as historical monuments in 1969, bear witness to its heritage importance.

Historically, Saint-Pierre-du-Mont preceded Mont-de-Marsan, founded between 1133 and 1141 by Viscount Pierre de Marsan. The church served as a place where the mayors of Mont-de-Marsan took the oath. Today, it remains an active place of worship and a cultural space, animated by concerts organized by the Association of Friends of the Organ and Music, highlighting its versatile organ, adapted to a repertoire from the 16th to the 20th century.

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