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Origin and history

The church Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Mézos, located in the Landes department in New Aquitaine, is a Gothic building built in the 14th century by the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. It replaces an early Romanesque church of the 12th century, now disappeared, which had a defensive character. The square tower of the bell tower, the oldest part, presents traces of its protective role: thick walls, murderous and mâchicoulis location, linked to the disturbances of the Hundred Years War. This bell tower also served as a refuge for the inhabitants in case of aggression.

The church, with three ships, is distinguished by its choir with a right span and its apse with three sides, as well as by its bell tower-poach surmounted by a polygonal arrow. Inside, a carved stone representing a branching of the Jesse tree supports a vein of the vault, although its exact origin (created for the church or recovered) remains uncertain. A keystone of the right side, decorated with a flowered shield, a couple and a salamander – the emblem of King Francis I – evokes the sovereign and his wife Claude of France. The building, initially covered with a coating, was stripped in 1981.

The history of the church is marked by several enlargements in response to population growth. In the 18th century (circa 1770), a south collateral chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary was added. Then, between 1862 and 1874, the departmental architect Alexandre Ozanne built the north side, dedicated to Saint Joseph, to accommodate the 1,800 inhabitants that Mézos then counted. In 1924, interior renovations (paintings, sacristy) and the opening of an ogival door on the west facade transformed access to the nave. The bell tower, rebuilt several times (notably in 1697, 1909 and 1977), is now covered with chestnut shingles since 2010.

The church furniture includes remarkable elements such as a Virgin of Mercy (Petà), altars dedicated to the Virgin and Saint Joseph, a path of the cross, and statues (Golden Vierge, Saint Louis). The stained glass windows, renovated around 1890, illuminate a vaulted nave of the 15th century, while paintings of the choir depict biblical scenes (Jesus blessing the children, Resurrection of Lazarus). Nearby, the ruins of St Peter's Chapel, also linked to the order of St John of Jerusalem, and the Argileyre Fountain, dedicated to St Rose, bear witness to a local religious and therapeutic heritage.

Classified as an inventory of historical monuments since 13 February 1969, the Church of Saint John the Baptist illustrates the architectural and social evolution of Mézos, from medieval conflicts to its central role in modern parish life. His mix of styles (Roman, Gothic, Neo-Gothic) and his royal or religious symbols make him a privileged witness to the history of the Landes.

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