Saint-Ruffine Church of Aureilhan dans les Landes

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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Ruffine, located in Aureilhan in the Landes, is a stop on the way to Soulac of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela. Built in garluch, local stone, it illustrates Romanesque architecture with a unique nave, two side chapels and a semicircular apse. Its porch houses a beam carved with naive geometric motifs (scales, wheels, diamond), attributed to popular art of the 15th and 16th centuries. Inside, a statue and reliquary of Saint Ruffine, transferred from an old chapel, are exposed in the nave, while a niche discovered in 1989 behind the high altar now houses a stained glass window.

The fountain of Saint Ruffine, adjacent to the church, was once a place of devotion to treat skin disorders (impetigo, eczema, milk crusts). The mothers drenched an abandoned handkerchief there, then prayed in front of the saint's statue in the church. In 1946, a storm destroyed the chapel covering the fountain, saving the altar and statue. This tradition continues today, linking the monument to popular healing and pilgrimage practices.

Saint Mommolin, patron of the parish, gives his spiritual name to the building, although it is dedicated to Saint Ruffine. The church, restored in 1989, thus blends medieval heritage, naive art and local beliefs, while enrolling in the jacquarian network. Its location on the edge of a pond and its history related to water (miraculous fontain) reinforce its anchoring in the landscape and collective memory of the Country of Born.

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