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Origin and history

The chapel Saint-Gilles de Pons is a 12th century Romanesque building located in the historic centre of the upper town. It is bordered to the east of the medieval castle of Pons and overcomes a vaulted passage, former entrance point of the castle. This porch, built under the seigneur Geoffroy III, extends the bedside of the primitive chapel, itself mentioned in 1067 under the names of Notre-Dame du Château and then Notre-Dame-Marie. Its thick walls, pierced with curved bays and supported by massive foothills, house a rectangular plan divided into two spans. The bedside, illuminated by an oculus, preserves traces of its Romanesque origin.

Two Gallo-Roman Miles, visible under the vaulted passage, attest to the route of the ancient Roman way between Mediolanum Santonum (Saints) and Burdigala (Bordeaux), passing through Pons. These remains underline the superposition of the epochs: the Roman arcade, composed of monolithic columns bearing inscriptions, was reused in the 12th century construction. The medieval arch-button, adorned with carved capitals, comes to kill against this ancient structure, creating a hybrid architectural ensemble.

Disused during the French Revolution, the chapel lost its religious function. In the 20th century, it briefly housed an archaeological museum. Nearby, a Renaissance facade, originally from Old Prison Street, was raised in the adjacent garden. This façade, classified as a historical monument in 1925, illustrates the urban evolution of Pons. The chapel itself, classified since 1879, remains owned by the commune and bears witness to the historical strata of the city, the Romans in the Middle Ages.

The building thus mixes defensive elements (buttress, thick walls), religious (called Marian, Romanesque plan) and civil (archal passage, re-use of materials). Its porch, with triple arcade, combines a Roman archvolt plated on the 12th century masonry, symbolizing continuity between the eras. The carved capitals and adorned harpsets reflect medieval craftsmanship, while the Milestones recall the strategic role of Pons on the ancient axes.

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