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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Blaise des Pujols, located in the Ariège department, is an emblematic monument of medieval religious heritage. Built between the late 13th century (c. 1296) and the 14th century (c. 1355), it combines Gothic elements such as its unique nave and foothills, with defensive features, including a combed bell tower with four arches for bells. His southern portal, adorned with three ogival archvolts in red sandstone, bears an inscription mentioning Renaud IV de Pons (1296-1335), lord linked to the family of Lévis, although his title of "duc" seems anachronistic. The western façade, crowned with a mâchicoulis and an oculus, as well as the traces of ancient wooden hoards (disappeared in the 19th century), testify to its fortified past.

The interior of the church, redesigned in the 17th and 19th centuries, preserves a crypt under the choir and false brick vaults. The walls, built of limestone sandstone stoneware, are reinforced by stone-cut foothills, suggesting an initial stone vault project never completed. The north walled gate, with typical 13th century layouts, and the south portal (14th century), potentially from a missing church, illustrate successive building campaigns. The polygonal sacristy, added in the 19th century, completes the building, including the stained glass windows of the choir (1876-1881) and painted decorations (1889) reflect late restorations. The church, partially classified as a historical monument in 1925 (facade and southern gate), benefited from external restorations between 2009 and 2014.

The history of the church is marked by contradictory powers, as Christine Belcikowski points out. Originally dedicated to Saint-Pierre (mentioned in 1551), she then took the term Saint-Blaise. Its bell tower, attributed to Renaud IV de Pons and Jeanne de Lévis, confirms its existence before 1355, while the brick bays of the lateral elevations and their enhancement probably date back to the seventeenth century. The 19th century works, led by the diocesan architect Ferdinand de Coma (1840) and the plasterer François Cabanié (1889), have profoundly transformed its interior, with the addition of painted decorations and glass windows. The clock, acquired in 1926, closes modern amenities.

The valorisation of recent heritage (2009-2014) involved the Association Les Pujols at the time of Dantan and the Heritage Foundation, highlighting the local attachment to this monument. The four bells, protected as movable objects (Palissy base), and the residual defensive elements recall its dual religious and strategic role in a medieval Ariege village. Today, the church remains a testament to the architectural and cultural evolutions of the region, between southern Gothic, fortifications and modern restorations.

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