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Origin and history

The chapel of Ordios, located in Labastide-Villefranche in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, was founded between 1150 and 1153 by Viscount Pierre II of Béarn. Built on Gascon land, it served as atonement for the murder of three Norman pilgrims. This priory, dependent on Roncevaux, housed a community of regular canons of St Augustine and prospered until it was partially destroyed in 1523 by the troops of William of Orange, then in 1569 during the wars of religion.

In the 17th century, the site was occupied by peasants who continued to welcome pilgrims, as attested during an episcopal visit in 1739. The chapel of Sainte-Madeleine, transformed into a stable after the Revolution (final closure in 1790), was sold in 1812 to the Marquise of Montehermoso, the mistress of Joseph Bonaparte. In 1963, it passed into the hands of the current owners after being acquired by the Duchess of Mandas. Only the chapel remains today, classified as Historical Monument since 1988.

The priory was a major step on the way to Compostela between Bordeaux and Ostabat. Its mill, in ruins, operated until 1928. The Romanesque abside was replaced by a straight wall after the Revolution, and the western facade, once equipped with a bell tower, was abrased. Historical capitals and arched passages added a posteriori testify to its rich architectural past. The ruins of the hospital, which disappeared in the 20th century, recall its medieval hospital vocation.

The site preserves traces of its Romanesque decor, including carved capitals. The east facade was rebuilt with the stones of the old semicircular apse. Despite its transformations (stable, private property), the chapel remains an emblematic vestige of the Belarusian religious heritage, linked to the history of pilgrimages and religious conflicts in Aquitaine.

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