Saint-Abdon and Saint-Sennen Church à Labéjan dans le Gers

Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Saint-Abdon-et-Saint-Sennen Church, located in Labéjan, Gers, was built in the 16th century on the site of an earlier religious building. It stands on a ridge of the Astarac at 270 meters altitude, overlooking the village square, the monument to the dead and a cross of the Passion. Oriented according to liturgical tradition, it presents a bell tower to the west and an apse to the east-south-east, with a south side portal sheltered under a porch.

The building bears traces of several construction campaigns: the date of 1561 appears in the church, while the bell tower displays the 1568 and 1589 vintages. His consecration, attested on 14 February 1548, took place in the presence of Martha, Countess of Astarac, and prelates from Auch. The church underwent major changes in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the destruction of its primitive porch in 1874.

Ranked a historic monument in 1962, the church houses two bells of 1717, the largest of which (650 kg) pays tribute to the 17 inhabitants of Labéjan who died during the First World War. Its architecture preserves medieval elements, such as the base of an old arch of warheads in the bell tower, while its structure, signed by a craftsman named Trouette, bears witness to local know-how.

Dedicated to Saints Abdon and Sennen, martyrs of the third century, this church reflects the religious and community history of Astarac. Its strategic location and successive changes make it a privileged witness to the architectural and social evolutions of the region since the Renaissance.

External links