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Origin and history

Saint-Louis de Mont-Louis Church is a Catholic church built in the heart of the Place-forte de Mont-Louis in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Its construction, decided in 1721 to replace a first church located in the citadel and considered inadequate because of the nuisances associated with the presence of the soldiers, began in 1733 under the personal impulse of the king. The work, carried out according to the plans of engineer Delisle de Salins, was completed in 1737. Although built in the 18th century, its architectural style recalls that of the 17th century, with an influence marked by the military genius of the period.

The building of the church, at a cost of £32,866, benefits from local resources, including the wood supplied by the abbey of Saint-Michel de Cuxa, from the Matte forest. Its architecture is distinguished by a sober facade with a classical portal surmounted by a curved pediment, a unique nave with four spans without transept, and eight side chapels. The bell tower, deliberately low to avoid offering a marker to the enemy, and the sacristy complete the whole. The building is listed as historic monuments on October 8, 2010.

Inside the church there is a rich decor, consisting of retables, murals and paintings, several of which are classified or listed as historical objects. Among them are a major altarpiece, paintings depicting Saint Louis and Saint Peter (registered in 2001), a altarpiece of Saint John the Baptist with a statue classified in 1749, as well as a tabernacle in golden wood and statues of the Virgin with the Child (classified in 1948). The stained glass windows, made by Gustave Pierre Dagrant, and works like the Virgin of Mercy painted by Paul Pezet in 1703, testify to the artistic richness of the building.

The Saint-Louis church illustrates both the spiritual needs of the military and civil community of Mont-Louis and the adaptation of religious constructions to the strategic constraints of the strongholds. Its history also reflects the role of local abbeys, such as Saint-Michel de Cuxa, in the supply of materials, as well as the influence of military engineers on the religious architecture of the time.

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