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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Eulalie, built on a 7th century chapel, finds its origins in the 3rd century, according to ancient texts. Founded by the Merovingian king Dagobert I (629-638) in honour of Saint Pey, it takes the name of Saint Eulalie after the donation of a relic of the saint by Sigebert III (630-656). A convent of Benedictine nuns was mentioned in 658. Partially destroyed by the Saracens in 732, it was restored under Charlemagne, where the relics of seven holy evangelizers of Novempopulania were deposited to protect them from Norman invasions.

In the 12th century, a new church was built to welcome the pilgrims of Santiago de Compostela, then modified in the 13th and 14th centuries with the addition of side naves and a gothic bedside. In the 15th century, the polygonal apse and the chapel Saint-Clair (home to the staff of Saint Roch, venerated by lepers) were built. The bell tower, damaged by lightning, was destroyed in the 18th century. In 1639, a chapel of the Corps-Saints was built to house the shawls of the seven martyrs, authenticated in 1610 by Cardinal de Sourdis, with a rocky grid signed Blaise Charlut (1751).

During the Revolution, the church served as a warehouse for confiscated works of art, while its cemetery disappeared. In the 19th century, it was reborn thanks to figures like Mademoiselle de Lamourous, Father Chaminade and Father Noailles. In 1822, a Eucharistic miracle was attested to by the Archbishop of Aviau. At the beginning of the 20th century, the building was radically redesigned: the Gothic gate was removed, the western façade rebuilt, and an added span. Ranked a historic monument in 1840, it remains an active place of worship, marked by personalities such as Jean-Louis Tauran (vicar in the 1970s) and Father Pierre Legrand (curé from 1990 to 2010).

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