Saint Bartholomew of Taller dans les Landes

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Origin and history

The church of St. Bartholomew in Taller, built in the 12th century in a Romanesque style, is a Catholic place of worship located in the Landes department. It bears witness to the medieval religious architecture of the region, marked by Aquitaine influence and Franco-English conflicts. Its quadrangular bell tower, reinforced by foothills and arches, illustrates the military adaptations imposed by the Hundred Years' War, when the English occupied the Landes from 1337 to 1453.

In the 14th century, the local lords strengthened the church to protect themselves from the disturbances of the Hundred Years' War. The bell tower, transformed into a dungeon, is equipped with archeries, while the nave is surmounted by a round path pierced by murderers. These defensive arrangements reflect the tensions between French and English, with a south wall designed to obstruct enemy assaults from the valley. These fortifications, still visible today, recall the strategic importance of religious buildings during this period.

The French Revolution marked a turning point for the church: in 1793 its bells were requisitioned to be melted into cannons, and its furniture was sold. Only a bell of 1730, melted by Lamier, escaped this destruction. In the 19th century, the building underwent major alterations, such as the addition of a north side in 1842, which made part of the round road disappear. In 1894, a fire destroyed the structure of the bell tower, rebuilt the following year and covered with slate.

At the beginning of the 20th century, under the impetus of Father Victor Doussy (1878-1953), the church was restored and embellished. An Art Deco cross road, carved by Lucien Danglade in 1931, now adorns the interior, while the high altar and the baptismal fonts, made by marbrier Clement Bousquet, are offered by the Dupin family in 1932. The windows, created by the Mauméjean brothers, were financed by the Lalagüe family in 1934. These works also reveal a Renaissance window of the 15th century, hidden under the coating.

Today, the church preserves three bells, dated 1730, 1841 and 1900, as well as an architecture combining Romanesque elements (nave of 24 meters, vaulted choir in cul-de-four) and medieval defensive additions. Its history reflects the political, religious and artistic upheavals that marked the Landes, from medieval times to modernity.

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