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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-André de Sauveterre-de-Béarn, located in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, is a religious building built between the end of the 12th century and the first quarter of the 13th century. It features a hybrid architecture, combining Romanesque and Gothic styles, with a central nave of 13 meters high and a quadrangular bell tower of 27 meters, initially crenelated and without roof. This bell tower, with its geminied bays surmounted by the doculi, reflects its defensive role in the city, integrated into the village of "Saint-André", one of the three historic districts of Sauveterre.

The church, from plan to Latin cross, consists of three naves, a salient transept, an apse and two apsidioles. Its western portal, adorned with a tympanum depicting Christ in majesty surrounded by the symbols of the four Evangelists, is surmounted by a pendant key. Inside, historic capitals illustrate scenes such as the Nativity or allegories of vices (Medism, Gourmandise). A southern side door was reserved for snags, a population marginalized but integrated into the Christian community. The building, damaged during the Wars of Religion (1569) and Spanish invasions in the 16th century, was restored in the 19th century, notably by architect Auguste Lafollye.

Ranked a historical monument in 1912, the church preserves remarkable medieval elements, such as its dogive vaults, its transept roses (work by Paul Louzier around 1930), and murals made in 1872 by Abbé Xavier Montaut. The bell tower, a former dungeon, and the slots still visible under its current roof testify to its dual religious and military use. The sacristy, added in the 19th century, completes an architectural ensemble marked by its magnitude and its symbolism, reflecting the turbulent history of Béarn.

The northern tympanum, adorned with a chrism (Christic symbol), combines Greek letters (Alpha and Omega inverted) with a cosmic iconography, while the western portal, restored by Lafollye, incorporates angels and an allegorical representation of the Moon. These artistic details, coupled with the fortified structure, underline the central role of the church in the spiritual and social life of Sauveterre, from the Middle Ages to the modern era.

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