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Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Rousset-les-Vignes, oriented to the northeast, includes a tower of the former fortification transformed into a sacristy, as well as two blind circular towers. Built in partly coated limestone rubble (except the porch and the mid-air façade), it is covered with hollow tiles and surmounted by a bell tower with three arched bays. Its irregular plan includes a single nave vaulted in a cradle, a five-paned choir, and four side chapels (Saint Vincent, Saint Joseph, Notre-Dame de Grace, and the Virgin), each with separate vaults (heads, ridges, or cradles). The facade, repaired on several occasions, retains elements in re-use, including a 1441 stone and Romanesque ravens, testimonies of earlier buildings.

The chapel of Rousset was mentioned in the 14th century in the sill of Die. In the 16th century, two parish churches coexist: Sainte-Marie-Magdeleine (in the enclosure, close to the priory) and Saint-Mayeul (outside the walls, in the cemetery). In 1664 Saint-Mayeul, in poor condition, was abandoned for the benefit of Sainte-Magdeleine, who then incorporated the chapels Notre-Dame de Graces (founded in 1538 by prior Charles de la Baume) and Notre-Dame de Pitié (linked to the lords Alrics de Cornillan). A major reconstruction took place in the 18th century: the nave was enlarged in 1716, the five-part choir and the sacristy were built between 1733 and 1735 by Antoine Ulo (master mason) on the plans of Vincent Julian, and the church was consecrated under the name of Saint-Mayeul in 1736.

The modifications continued in the 19th and 20th centuries: remediation of the Saint Joseph chapel (1842), partial demolition of the facade (1869), addition of an appentis (1877), and construction of an oval perron (1879). The façade, restored in 2000, preserves traces of medieval re-uses, such as stones from the hospital demolished in 1716 or from the old church of Saint-Mayeul. The building, classified as Historical Monument for its façade in 1926, illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the village, from medieval origins to modern transformations.

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