Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of the Nativity-Notre-Dame, located in Bassoues in the Gers, finds its origins in the creation of the bastide in the 13th century. The first religious building, enlarged in the 14th and 15th centuries, became a collegiate building in 1512 under the impulse of twelve canons. Its architecture reflects this evolution, with a unique nave covered with a broken arch cradle and a vaulted chorus, typical of the southern Gothic style. The slope of the terrain influences its external appearance, where the south drop-off wall dominates the north wall.

The major transformation of the church took place between 1873 and 1875, when interior works gave it its present appearance. These include the reconstruction of the north wall, the cover of the nave by a lattice cradle, and the addition of painted decorations at the end of the 19th century, such as the medallions of the evangelists or the fresco of the death of Saint Fris by Paul Noël Lasseran. The portal, restored in 1840, and the 15th century stone pulpit (classified in 1908) bear witness to its rich past.

The church was erected as a collegiate church on 12 May 1512, marking its religious importance in the region. In the 18th century, restoration works concerned tile, walls, and cover, while recurrent problems of infiltration required drainage in 1882. Joined historical monuments in 2018, it now embodies a heritage that is both medieval and transformed by later periods, linked to the history of the archbishops of Auch and the Bastide of Bassoues.

The site also houses remarkable elements such as the 15th century monumental pulpit, supported by a carved cul-de-lampe, or the side chapels with vaults decorated with stylized human heads. The white marble tabernacle of the choir, topped by a statue of the Sacred Heart, and the marble baptismal tank of the chapel Saint-Jean-le-Baptiste complete this ensemble. Its central location, between the Place de la Halle and the medieval streets, strengthens its anchoring in the historical urban fabric.

External links