Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Ybars, also known as the Saint-Eparche Church, is a Gothic-style religious building built in the 13th century, and then profoundly redesigned in the 16th century. Located in the bastide of Saint-Ybars (Ariège), it has an unfinished hexagonal bell tower, whose square base suggests integration with the original fortifications. Its southern portal, adorned with a polylobed arch and surmounted by a statue, as well as its interior frescoes (Saint Anne Chapel), testify to its architectural evolution. Partially classified in 1907 for her door, she has been fully protected since 1987, including her painted decor.

Founded in the heart of the first bastide in Foix County (1241), the church was initially distant from the original village. In the 16th century, Bishop Jean de Pins established a collegiate church (1527), while works enlarged the nave and added Renaissance elements (govaux, pilasters to capitals). The north wall then served as a bulwark, illustrating the dual religious and defensive role of the building. Classified statues, such as that of Saint Anthony the Great (17th century), and liturgical objects complete his historical furniture.

The restoration of the heritage has been carried out since 2008 by the Éparchoise Cultural and Historical Association, which entrusted the renovation of the stained glass windows to artisan Pierre Rivière. A public subscription, supported by the Heritage Foundation, aims today to save the bell tower. The building, a communal property, remains a symbol of medieval and reborn history of Ariège, between faith, seigneurial power and architectural adaptations.

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