Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Collège Notre-Dame-des-Pommiers de Beaucaire was founded in the 11th century, when buildings were donated in 1096 to the Benedictines of the Chaise-Dieu to found a priory. Five centuries later, in 1597, Pope Clement VIII erected this priory as a collegiate, with a chapter composed of a dean, a capiscol, ten canons and two hebdomaders. This place of worship, deeply rooted in local religious life, was marked by an ancient devotion to Saint Madeleine, patroness of the famous fair of Beaucaire since the Middle Ages.

The decision to rebuild the building was taken on 23 August 1734, due to the small size of the former parish church, which was unable to accommodate a growing population. The inhabitants of Beaucaire financed the work themselves, the chapter having no resources. The plans, designed by architects Jean-Baptiste Franque and Guillaume Rollin, provided for a Latin cross church with a convex façade and an imposing dome of 30 meters high. The first stone was laid on December 3, 1734, but financial difficulties delayed the blessing of the new building until July 15, 1744.

Among the remarkable elements of the collegiate church are a Romanesque frieze of the 12th-XIIIth century, vestige of the old church, integrated with the east wall of the bell tower and representing the Last Supper. The interior furniture, made of marble marquetry by Dominique Fossaty's Marseille workshop, includes a master altar, a pulpit and baptismal fonts. The chapel dedicated to Saint Madeleine, heir to a medieval devotion, houses works of art from the 18th and 19th centuries, including paintings and a white marble altar.

Classified as a historical monument by decree of 13 October 1942, the collegiate church illustrates southern Baroque architecture, combining classical influences and local specificities. Its north-south orientation, rare for a church, is explained by an adaptation to the pre-existing urban fabric. The stands on the lower sides and the choir, as well as the wrought iron grilles, are evidence of an innovative spatial design for the time.

Among its members were notable figures such as Claude-François de Narbonne-Pelet, Dean in 1731 and Abbé de Notre-Dame de Valsaintes. The Avignonnais entrepreneurs Arnaud and Robert, who awarded the works in 1734, played a key role in the construction of the site, while the local artisans, often anonymous, contributed to the furniture and decor. Today, the building remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of Occitanie.

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