Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The parish church of Notre-Dame de Decazeville was built between 1847 and 1873 to replace the old church of Vialarels, threatened by nearby mining operations. Its architecture, designed by Antoine-Martin Garnaud (Prix de Rome 1817), is inspired by Roman and Paleo-Christian basilicas, with a single vaulted nave on pendants and narrow collaterals. Partly financed by François Cabrol's Coal Company, it reflects the local industrial boom.

The first stone was laid in 1847 by Monsignor Crozier, and the building was consecrated in 1861, although the bell tower was not completed until 1873. Built in the tuff of Saint-Antonin, the church is distinguished by its western porch inspired by paleo-Christian narthex and its stripped side façades, evoking the industrial halls of Decazeville. The stained glass windows, made by the Goussard workshop, and the cross path painted by Gustave Moreau in 1863 (commanded by Élie Cabrol) enrich his interior decor.

Ranked as a historical monument in 2019, the church houses a Cavaillé-Coll organ (1874, classified in 1994) and a carillon of 1880. It underwent restorations in 2008 (glass windows) and 2011 (coupole). Since 2017, it has hosted pilgrims from Via Podiensis, except in 2020. His furniture, including altars carved by Jacques Abbal (1864), is referenced in the Palissy base.

The building illustrates stylistic research by Antoine-Martin Garnaud, who published Études d'architecture christique in 1857, proposing models of churches adapted to the 19th century. The 14 paintings of the Way of the Cross, refused by Moreau, were classified in 1965. In 1924, bays were pierced and the apse painted by Jean Ningres, modernizing lighting and decoration.

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