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Origin and history

The Sainte-Marie church of Corneilla-de-Conflent, first mentioned in 1018, was originally owned by the bishopric of Elne before passing to the Counts of Cerdagne in 1025. In 1094, Count Guillaume Raymond asked his son, Guillaume Jorda, in his will to establish a college of canons, which was carried out in 1097 under the order of Saint-Augustin. This monument illustrates the religious and political exchanges of the region, with close links with the priory of Serrabone.

In the 14th century, the convent buildings and cloister, originally located in the north, were moved to the south due to geological instability. The king of Aragon then handed over the ancient palace of the Counts of Cerdagne to the Canons, and a new Gothic cloister was built. A bridge, which had now disappeared, linked the castle directly to the church, facilitating movement. The college was secularized in 1592 by Pope Clement VIII and became the parish church of the village.

The architecture of the building reflects its evolution: the nave, on the walls of the 11th century, was remodeled in the 12th century with broken cradle vaults, while the bedside, typical of Catalan Romanesque art, has a main apse flanked by absidioles. The western façade, adorned with a carved portal representing a Virgin in majesty, and the 11th century quadrangular bell tower, bear witness to the artistic richness of the period. The church also houses wooden Romanesque Virgins and 15th century stalls.

Listed as a historical monument in 1840 and then in 1952, Sainte-Marie Church embodies the religious and architectural heritage of the Conflent. Its furniture, including 12th-century altars, and decorative elements, such as the friezes of gear teeth, make it a major site for understanding Romanesque art in southern France. The beginning of the 16th century marked a transition in its status before its definitive secularization.

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