Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste d'Onesse stands in the heart of the municipality of Onesse-et-Laharie, in the Landes department. Its location, at the end of an elaborate spur, reveals an ancient occupation. The most primitive part of the building dates back to Roman times, attesting to a very distant origin. The remains of this period, although partially erased by subsequent transformations, remain in the current structure.

During the Hundred Years' War, the church was fortified to protect itself from conflicts. A high room was built, whose murderers still visible under the roof of the bedside testify today. This defensive system reflects the tensions of the time and the adaptation of places of worship to a belligerent context. The nave, for its part, was completely rebuilt in the 15th century to enlarge the building, notably by the addition of a southern collateral.

In the 19th century, in the face of population growth, a second collateral was built in the north. This extension met a practical need: to accommodate an expanding local population. The successive changes, from the Middle Ages to the modern era, illustrate the architectural and social evolution of this monument, still rooted in community life.

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