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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Saint Saturnin church of Pouzac was built from 1548 on the ruins of an earlier building destroyed by fire. The porch, dated 1563, and the two northern chapels, erected in 1588, bear witness to this first phase of reconstruction. Although in Gothic style, the building incorporates later elements, such as the wooden vault painted by Jean Catau at the end of the seventeenth century, as well as the large altarpiece and woodwork of the choir, added at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

The church plan consists of a single nave flanked by two side chapels, connected by arches in the middle of the wall. The carved lamp-ends, representing monsters and reptiles, support the wooden vault. Outside, the cemetery is surrounded by a fortified wall, while a bell tower was associated with the west in the 19th century, although excluded from the classification of Historic Monuments in 1984.

The classic gate, sheltered by an awning of slates, and the wooden stand at the back of the church illustrate the subsequent additions. The ensemble, owned by the commune, preserves traces of architectural and artistic evolutions between Renaissance and modern period, with a predominance of the late Gothic style. The altarpiece completely masks the polygonal bedside, emphasizing the importance attached to interior decoration.

Classified as a Historical Monument in 1984 (excluding the 19th century bell tower), the church of Saint Saturn embodies the religious heritage of the Hautes-Pyrénées. Its history reflects successive reconstructions and the adaptation of styles, while preserving medieval elements such as lamp-ass or arcades. Jean Catau's painting on the wooden vault is a rare testimony of the local art of the time.

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