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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint-Martin d'Ourde Church is a Catholic religious building located in the village of Ourde, Barousse, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Oriented east-west, it is distinguished by its massive buttress bell tower and its porch protecting the south entrance, decorated with a tympanum representing Saint Martin sharing his coat with a poor. The building, surrounded by a cemetery, embodies the medieval religious architecture of the region.

Classified as historical monuments since 15 December 1972, this church dates from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Its interior houses 15th-century murals, illustrating scenes from the life of Jesus and Saint Martin, themselves classified as historical objects. The golden wooden altarpiece, carved by Jean I Ferrère, now preserved in a museum, bears witness to the artistic richness of the period.

The location of the church, on the southeast edge of the village of Ourde, reflects its central role in the community and spiritual life of the Barousse. Its ranking among historical monuments underlines its heritage importance, both for its architecture and for its interior decorative elements, which offer an overview of medieval religious art in Occitanie.

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