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Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de l'enclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge à Montpellier dans l'Hérault

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine religieux
Architecture gothique rayonnant

Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de l'enclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge

    14 Avenue de Castelnau
    34000 Montpellier
Ownership of a private company
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Église Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, de lenclos Saint-François et enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge
Crédit photo : yves Tennevin - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1885
Foundation of the orphanage
1909-1913
Construction of church
1919
Completion of the bell tower
1947
Légs de Charles Prévost
28 juillet 1999
Registration of the church
1er décembre 2021
Extension of protection
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

Church (Cd. CD 331): registration by decree of 28 July 1999; The following elements of the Enclos Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, excluding a modern building (No.8), according to the plan annexed to the decree: in total the gardens and plots (No. 16), the Berthe villa (No. 2), the Salle Bleue (No. 3), the Cour des Miracles (No. 4) and two rooms of Father Prévost's apartment on the ground floor of building No. 13; for their facades and roofs the other buildings (No. 5-7, 9-15); the whole is located at 14 avenue de Castelnau Quartier de la Pierre Rouge, appearing in the cadastre on the plots CD609, CD610, CD614, CD819, CD820, CD832, CD834 : inscription by order of 1 December 2021

Key figures

Charles Prévost - Chanoine and contractor Founded the orphanage and commanded the church.
Julien Boudes - Architect Designed the church between 1909 and 1919.
Jean Magrou - Sculptor Author of the crown tympanum.
Raoul Dussol - Sculptor Realized the Child's Life.
Félix Gaudin - Glass painter Create the church windows.

Origin and history

The church of Saint-François de la Pierre-Rouge, located in Montpellier in the Hérault, is a neo-Gothic realization of the early twentieth century. It was built between 1909 and 1913 by the architect Julien Boudes, with a bell tower completed in 1919, at the initiative of Canon Charles Prévost. The latter gradually acquired a plot of land of 13 hectares to found an orphanage and a college on the outskirts of the suburbs of Fine Arts. The church, the last example of this style in Montpellier, is distinguished by its tympanum carved by Jean Magrou and its stained glass windows signed Félix Gaudin.

The architectural complex, including gardens, villa Berthe, Blue Hall and other buildings, was gradually protected: the church was listed as historical monuments in 1999, and the enclosure in its entirety (except for a modern building) by a decree of 2021. The liturgical furniture, made in the workshops of the orphanage, and the sculptures, like the Virgin with the Child of Raoul Dussol, bear witness to the craft quality of the period. Charles Prévost bequeathed the whole to a private not-for-profit society to perpetuate his educational and social work.

Originally founded in 1885 by the Franciscan sisters of Grèzes (Aveyron) as an agricultural orphanage, the site expanded through purchases of land between 1909 and 1918. Today, the Société de l'Enclos Prévost manages this registered heritage, combining religious, educational and architectural heritage. The spaces, like the courtyard of the Miracles or the rooms of the canon's apartment, reflect a history both spiritual and dedicated to youth.

External links