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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Julien parish church, located in the Perlic district of Lons, was built between 1936 and 1950 to meet the needs of an expanding population. Designed by architect Henri Challe, it is distinguished by its elongated plane, its nave flanked by low side and its choir surmounted by an octagonal dome. Although planned, the monumental bell tower on the façade will never be erected. The building mixes concrete with cutting stone, reflecting the modern techniques of the era.

Inside the church Saint-Julien offers an exceptional Art Deco decor, marked by murals, mosaics, glass windows and original liturgical furniture. The majority of these elements are realized by the Mauméjean Frères workshop, giving the whole a remarkable stylistic unit. This complete decor, rare in the Béarn, illustrates the adaptation of Art Deco motifs to sacred art in the 20th century.

Classified as a Historical Monument by decree of 20 January 2016, the church belongs to a cult association. Its inscription emphasizes its heritage value, both architectural and artistic, as a testimony to the aesthetic and technical innovations of the 1930s-1950s. The absence of a bell tower, originally planned, recalls the constraints or aesthetic choices of its construction.

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