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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Juste-et-Sainte-Ruffine came into being in 982, when Hildesind, bishop of Elne, consecrated a first building in the presence of Oliba Cabreta, Count of Cerdagne. This place of worship, dedicated to the Holy Just and Ruffine, marked the foundation of the parish of Prats-de-Mollo. In the face of population growth, a new church was built and consecrated in 1245 by Bernat de Berga, keeping a Romanesque bell tower that also served as a defensive tower. This bell tower, partially redesigned in the 14th century, received its pyramidal arrow in 1634.

In the 17th century, the Romanesque church, which became too small for 1,200 faithful, was profoundly transformed from 1648 under the direction of architect Antoine Doldon. The cave walls of the thirteenth century were raised, and the vaulted nave collapsed in 1663, requiring the intervention of Jacques Marial, who built a Gothic vault and adjusted the chapels. Two side chapels (Rosary in the south, Saint Sacrament in the north) were added between 1673 and 1675, before the completion of the polygonal bedside in 1681. The building, classified in 1921, houses a rich baroque furniture, including seven retables from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The furniture includes a major altarpiece dedicated to patron saints (1693, gold between 1743-1748), as well as secondary altarpieces such as those of Saint Michael (1705), the Rosary (1706), or Saint Joseph (1709). The organ, installed in 1724 by Brother Pascal Cervello with a buffet of Salvador Quinta, was restored several times, especially after damage caused by lightning in 1932. Its buffet, classified in 1933, bears witness to the musical importance of the church.

The church illustrates the architectural and artistic evolution of the Roussillon, mixing medieval Romanesque heritage and Baroque expansions. Its history also reflects the defensive needs of the region, the bell tower having served as a watchtower. The 17th century transformations, led by local artisans (Guillaume Fara) and renowned architects (Jacques Marial), underline its central role in the community and religious life of Prats-de-Mollo.

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