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Origin and history

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste church of Loubeyrat, built between 1869 and 1876, replaces a medieval building that became too small for the parish. Its financing, partly legendary, would come from a treasure hidden by the family of Monestay-Chazeron, owner of the local castle. According to tradition, Father Claude-Augustin Gouilloux, parish priest of Loubeyrat, used this treasure after discovering its location in the woodwork of the chapel of the castle, secretly transmitted by the Duchess of Cereste-Brancas, the last heiress of the family.

The building, of neo-Gothic style, is distinguished by its imposing size for a rural village, worth its nickname Cathedral of Mountains. The plans were drawn by Abbé Gouilloux himself, and the materials (like the Faye sand) were local. The villagers actively participated in the construction, choosing an ambitious architectural style for the time. The church was listed as a Historic Monument in 2000 for its heritage interest.

The interior furniture includes a carved master altar, a wooden pulpit decorated with saints, and stained glass windows offered by local notables between 1877 and 1879. These stained glass windows, signed Eug. Moulin à Dreux for one of them, represent religious figures linked to donors (such as Saint Marguerite or Saint Michael). The rosace of the portal depicts God in majesty, while the bells, blessed in 1891, emphasize the liturgical importance of the place.

The church maintains close ties with the Congregation of the Little Nurse Sisters of the Campaigns, founded in 1866 in Loubeyrat by Marguerite Gardarin (mother Saint John the Baptist) and Abbé Gouilloux. Their neighbouring chapel, with a bright whiteness, contrasts with the dark stone of the church. Today, a nun of this congregation still resides in the village, perpetuating this spiritual heritage.

A monument to the dead, integrated into the entrance, honors the children of Loubeyrat who had fallen in the two world wars. Every year, a mass celebrates the nativity of Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of the village, on the Sunday following June 24. The building remains a symbol of the faith and community solidarity that presided over its creation.

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