Church of Saint Martin à Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques

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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Church of St.Martin of Bruges-Capbis-Mifaget, listed as a Historic Monument, finds its origins in the 15th century, although its massive tower tower dates from the 16th century. It was built at the site of an earlier building of the 14th and 15th centuries, of which only the base of the bell tower remains today. The oldest preserved elements include a flamboyant-style porch and a 14th-15th-century bentier, adorned with angels supporting a human head by a ring, perhaps symbolizing the extirpation of evil. This benigner, as well as the monumental gate, testify to the first half of the sixteenth century, period of initial construction.

Between 1896 and 1904, the church was the subject of a controversial project of enlargement and restoration led by the Bordeaux architect Jean Mondet. Initially criticized for its magnitude — equivalent to almost total reconstruction — the project was reviewed after the intervention of Bishop Jauffret and the Council of Civil Buildings. The final works (1902-1904) included the reconstruction of the bedside, the extension of the nave, the addition of two side chapels, and the repair of the vaults and interior decoration. Only the bell tower arrow and a stand were abandoned. In 1904 Jules-Pierre Mauméjean, master glassmaker biarrot, provided a set of glass windows signed, still visible today.

The church's bell tower and south gate have been protected since 1947 by a registration order under the Historic Monuments. The building, owned by the commune, thus blends medieval heritage and neo-Gothic transformations, illustrating the architectural and artistic evolutions of the region. Its allegorical bentier and Art Nouveau stained glass windows make it a place full of symbols, at the crossroads of times.

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