Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Radegonde de Colomiers finds its origins in a chapel given to the abbey of Saint-Sernin in 1096. The remains of this early chapel served as a foundation for the present building. In the 16th century, the church, probably already in ruins, was partially rebuilt: a five-sided apse was erected in 1522, forming today the characteristic bedside. The square tower, made of typical pink bricks of Toulouse, was equipped with a lantern pinacle, while the bell tower, restored between 1551 and 1557, marked this period of major renovation.

In 1650, the Archbishop of Toulouse observed during a visit that the church was still in good condition, testifying to its strength after the work of the previous century. However, a collapse of the bell tower in 1783 required immediate reconstruction, completed in 1784. This intervention permanently altered its appearance: the walls were raised, and the facade adorned with a triumphal door surmounted by a pediment. The current ceiling dates back to 1843, when an organ was also installed by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, later replaced by the Pesce brothers in 1981.

The church houses relics of Saint Radegonde, including a phalange and bones of the hand, linked to his work with lepers. Closed in 2013 after the fall of a cornice, it reopened in 2015 after two years of complete restoration, including upgrading and interior beautification. His official inauguration in October 2015 marked his return as a place of worship and local heritage, in the presence of Bishop Robert Le Gall and parish priest Jean François Brignol.

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