Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The former Romanesque chapel of Mont-de-Marsan is a 14th century medieval building in the Landes department. Built of shellfish stone, it combines Romanesque elements, such as its carved rosette, with later Gothic additions. Its façade on Marguerite de Navarre Square has been listed as a historic monument since 1942.

Originally, the chapel was a Catholic place of worship under the protection of the Clarisses, as evidenced by an act of donation of 1277 by Viscount Gaston VII and his daughter Constance de Moncade. It allowed residents of the Lacataye dungeon, built around 1313, to attend the offices. After the decommissioning of the dungeon, the chapel lost its religious use and suffered various damage: a fire during the wars of Religion, degradation due to lack of maintenance, then reuse as agricultural storage, civilian housing and garage in the 20th century.

In the middle of the 20th century, the chapel was restored to accommodate the municipal museum of fine arts Despiau-Wlérick. Its stained glass windows, made by master glassmaker Jean Lesquibe (1910–1995), now adorn the building. Today, it is owned by the municipality and retains an emblematic facade and an architectural heritage combining Roman and Gothic.

External links