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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The chapel of the Nativity-de-Saint-Jean-Baptiste du Bousquet, located in Ventenac in the Ariège department, is an emblematic monument of the Pyrenean mountain churches. Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, it is distinguished by its rectangular plan, its bell tower-wall with three arcades and its ogival entrance protected by an awning. The building, covered with tiles, embodies the modest and functional religious architecture of the rural areas of the time.

In 1672, the chapel nearly disappeared on the proposal of the priest serving the parish, who suggested to the bishop of Pamiers, François de Caulet, its suppression because of his poor condition and his remoteness. Despite this threat, it was preserved and restored over the centuries. An 18th-century mural, including Saint John the Baptist, was rediscovered during renovations in 2012.

Ranked under the title of historical monuments by order of 14 December 1995, the chapel houses remarkable furniture, including baptismal fonts, a carved bentier and benches for the faithful, also included in the inventory. It is surrounded by a cemetery and is 470 meters above sea level, in the partially ruined hamlet of the Bousquet, accessible by departmental road 13. Its sober architecture and history reflect the religious and community life of the Ariegean Pyrenees.

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