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Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Mimizan was built between 1887 and 1891 to replace the old Church of St Mary, considered too old. The project, decided in 1879, was accelerated by the donation of land and buildings by Madame Marrast, from a local influential family. The building, of neoclassical and neogothic style, was consecrated on 3 May 1891 by the bishop of Aire and Dax. Only the old church remains the bell tower, the other parts being destroyed between 1898 and 1899.

The interior furniture reflects an artistic richness: the high altar in white and red marble, made in 1893 by the Toulouse marbrier J. Guiraud, represents the Supper. The pulpit and confessionals, of neo-Gothic style (1890-1895), stand alongside statues like an 18th century Virgin with Child, inherited from the old church. The murals of the choir (1902), signed Millet, and the stained glass windows of Gustave-Pierre Dagrand (1889-1890) illustrate religious scenes, including the Assumption, the Annunciation and local saints such as Galactoire de Lescar.

During the Second World War, the church became a witness to local tensions. In 1943 the German authorities banned patriotic gatherings, while in June 1944 the bells were silenced to avoid any signal. The bell tower was occupied by soldiers until August 1944. After the Liberation, the church clock was restored to French time, symbolically marking the end of the occupation. In 2019, Storm Amélie partially damaged its roof.

The symphonic organ, acquired in 2003 by the Association of Friends of the Organ of Mimizan, is a historical instrument built in 1888 by Louis Debierre. Restored by Robert Chauvin, it was inaugurated in 2004. Its Second Empire buffet, decorated with medallions representing Rameau, Bach, Haendel and Saint-Saëns, and its 840 tin pipes make it a major piece of local heritage.

The church also houses a 1920 commemorative painting dedicated to the deaths of the First World War, in white marble, as well as polychrome plaster statues of saints (Joseph, Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus, Jeanne d'Arc) dating from the late 19th or early 20th century. These elements illustrate his memorial and spiritual role in the Mimizanese community.

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