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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame-des-Pommeliers de Largentière, mentioned at the end of the 12th century under the name Beata Maria de Pomeriis, probably derives its name from the Latin pomœrium, designating a sacred space near the ramparts. Built against the fortified enclosure, it preserves a round tower near the western porch. Its architecture combines Romanesque influences (massive spaces, arches in the middle of the hanger) and Gothic influences (voûts sur crosses dogives, capitals decillus), reflecting the transition between the two styles after the Albigois Crusade (1209-1229), a period of conflict for the control of Vivarais.

The nave, completed around 1240-1250, bears the coats of arms of the Count of Toulouse (chœur) and Saint Louis (nef north), testifying to the Capetian grip. Lateral chapels, such as those of Saint Vincent (1429) or the Virgin (1519), were added between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries. The church escaped the destruction of the Wars of Religion (1562), but its furniture was enriched in the nineteenth century by the parish priest Léorat: sacristy, chapels (Saint Joseph, Saint Louis de Gonzague), porch, and bell tower arrow (1868).

Among the remarkable elements, a skull attributed to the Count of Saillans (executed in 1792) rests on a pillar since 1894. The interior decor includes a 15th century pulpit offered by Pierre Garnier, 19th century murals (including a Saint Paul by Molinari, 1833), and a medieval sarcophagus transferred in 1953. Ranked a historic monument in 1907 (excluding bell tower and west gate), the church illustrates the architectural and political evolution of Vivarais, from local lords to royal anchor.

Its history also reflects the religious tensions: if the Protestants burned the nearby Cordeliers convent in 1562, the church itself was preserved. The additions of the 19th century, such as the chapels or the porch, met the liturgical needs of an active parish, while Molinari's paintings, partially covered in 1856, reflected the artistic tastes of the period. Today, it remains a symbol of the ardèche heritage, mixing medieval heritage and modern transformations.

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