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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Pierre-del-Lec, located in Armissan in the department of Aude, is a medieval vestige of which today only remains a wall of 10 meters long and more than 9 meters high, nicknamed "La muraillasse". This wall, of a thickness of 1.40 meters, preserves the traces of an old door surmounted by a steep edge, resting on a low arch and ravens. This vestige, inscribed in historical monuments since 1942, recalls the past importance of this place of worship.

Originally, the site housed a chapel from the 9th century, replaced in the 13th century by a church dedicated to the apostles St Peter and St Paul. This building then served as a parish church common to the villages of Armissan and Vinassan. Its destruction in 1355 was attributed to mercenary bands serving the Black Prince, a violent episode of the Hundred Years' War in the region. After these events, the church lost its parish status in 1404, following the visit of Vicar Jean Corsier.

The monument is closely linked to the former monastery of Saint-Pierre-du-Lec, now extinct, on which it depended. The still standing wall has a vault in the middle of its upper part, reaching a height of about fifteen meters. This vestige, owned by the commune, offers a rare architectural testimony of the religious and medieval history of Occitanie.

The inscription in the title of historical monuments in 1942 preserved this fragment of history, although its present state no longer allows to appreciate the entire original building. Available sources, such as the Mérimée bases or religious heritage observatories, highlight its heritage interest despite its deterioration.

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