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Origin and history

The church of Saintes-Puelles de Mas-Saintes-Puelles, located in the department of Aude en Occitanie, is a Gothic building whose remains date back to the fourteenth century. It was originally dedicated to St Peter before adopting, from the 15th century onwards, the term of Saintes-Puelles — two young girls who buried the body of St Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in the 3rd century, before being driven by the Romans and took refuge in the village. This change in dedication reflects a local evolution linked to legend and popular devotion.

The building of the church in the 14th century coincides with a period of prosperity for Mas-Saintes-Puelles, illustrated by the creation of a royal baylie in 1327. The building, of a unique nave type with lateral chapels, was partially destroyed during the Wars of Religion: in 1622 Louis XIII burned and razed the city, then Huguenot bastion of Lauragais. The southern gate, dating from the 14th century and classified as a historical monument in 1908, was preserved and reintegrated into the later reconstruction. His sculptures — leafy rinsels, pinnacles and stylized animals — make him a remarkable example of Southern Gothic art.

After its destruction in 1622, the church was rebuilt from the eastern ruins of the old nave, probably in the seventeenth or eighteenth century. The bell tower, raised in 1897 by an arrow, now dominates the building. The visible remains include a foothill, a part of the southern wall and the bases of the original bell tower, while the cemetery was once installed in the ruins of the early nave. This monument thus embodies the religious and political upheavals of the region, between the Middle Ages and the modern era.

The southern gate, the oldest element, is distinguished by its archvolt carved with plant motifs and its tympanum framed with pinacles. Moved during reconstruction, it now opens onto the first span of the current nave. The capitals, adorned with continuous frieze leaves, and bulbous leaf crawlers reveal a typical artistic influence of the gothic Languedocian. These details, combined with the turbulent history of the site, make it an emblematic heritage of Aude.

Owned by the commune, the Saintes-Puelles church remains a place of memory, linked both to the legend of the Saints Puelles and to the religious conflicts that marked Lauragais. Its partial classification (south gate) and its successive reconstruction illustrate efforts to preserve an architectural heritage despite historical destruction. Today, it reflects the resilience of local communities and their commitment to their spiritual and cultural heritage.

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