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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Amand de Senas, located in the Bouches-du-Rhône, finds its origins at the end of the 11th century. Its early construction, prior to 1155, was attested by a donation to the bishops of Avignon in 1150, confirmed by Pope Adrien IV in 1155. Originally, it consisted of a single four-span Romanesque nave and a cul-de-four apse, whose remains remain in the present sacristy. Two arched gates (west and south) provided access, while the landing arches and foothills provided stability.

In the 14th century, the building was radically redesigned: a Gothic central nave and a polygonal choir were added to the north, transforming the early church. A massive bell tower with flat roof, then an octagonal arrow with 56 rostres (heads, phallus, claws) was erected between the 14th and 15th centuries. In 1306, the church took the name Saint-Pierre before becoming Saint-Amand again in the 19th century. A northern collateral, added between 1453 and 1458, collapsed in the 17th century due to failing foundations, reconstructed summarily in 1667-1671 with plastered wooden warheads.

The French Revolution marked a turning point: the church, renamed Resurrection of the Saviour in 1787, was closed in 1790, its nationalized lands and two of its three bells sent to the foundry. It remained unserved until 1815. In the 19th century, a presbytery, a sacristy and an ossuary (linked to the adjacent cemetery) were built. Major renovations in the 20th and 21st centuries (1990, 1999, 2008-2009) reveal a 17th century fire housing Charles de Jarente, Marquis de Senas, as well as a medieval pavement and historical objects (currency, sculptures).

The current architecture thus combines a primitive Romanesque nave, a 14th century Gothic nave, a polygonal choir and an iconic bell tower. Ranked a historic monument in 1997, the church also retains an outdoor calvary (restored in 2005 after a flight) and a partial painted decoration of the seventeenth century. Its history reflects the religious, political and architectural evolutions of medieval and modern Provence.

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