Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church Our Lady of Benon finds its origins in the foundation of a hospital in the 12th century, probably linked to the memory of the second crusade (1147-1149). A local lord, returning from the Holy Land, reportedly confirmed a previous donation to the knights of Saint John of Jerusalem in 1154, in tribute to his deceased father. This act marked the creation of the hospital and its first chapel, now integrated into the sacristy. The site became the capital of a hospital commissionory that flourished until the 14th century.

Around 1200, a second church was built to replace the original building, considered too small. It adopts a simple plane: a rectangular nave with five spans, vaulted, and a flat bedside. Its porch, characteristic of Romanesque art, consists of three arches in full hanger with ground youds, resting on smooth capital columns. Above, a decorative arch with five curved arches, supported by geminate columns, overcomes the whole. The current triangular sprocket, added in 1768, partially changed the original appearance.

The church of Notre-Dame de Benon was situated on a secondary route of the path of Compostela, as evidenced by its link with hospitals. The latter welcomed pilgrims and travelers, while managing the land and income of the command office. The monument, classified in 1972, preserves remarkable Romanesque architectural elements, such as carved patterns of the cornice or columns of the porch. Its history thus reflects both local dynamics (Medocan Signuries) and international networks (military orders, pilgrimages).

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