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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Étienne de Trèbes, located in the department of Aude en Occitanie, is a religious building whose construction takes place mainly in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, with subsequent additions to the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. It is mentioned for the first time in a papal bubble of Innocent IV in 1253, and its reconstruction in Languedoc Gothic style takes place in two major campaigns, from bedside to western facade. The building, dedicated to Saint Stephen, depends on the diocese of Carcassonne and has been listed for historical monuments since 1974.

The architecture of the church is characterized by a unique nave of seven spans, covered with an apparent structure resting on diaphragm arches. This structure, dating from the 13th century, reveals in 1977 an exceptional set of 350 painted crows, depicting scenes of medieval daily life, characters of all social conditions, as well as geometric and plant motifs. These discoveries, revealed after the partial collapse of a false plaster vault installed in 1860, make this decor one of the most complete and rare in the region.

The church bedside, narrower and lower than the nave, is illuminated by five geminied bays with lancettes topped by clovers. Five side chapels, vaulted with warheads, open onto the north and south spans, while a six-storey square bell tower, served by a stair turret, rises south of the first span. The western gate, begun but never completed, gives way to two side entrances to the north and south of the second span. In 1515, the chapel Despeyroux, founded by the consuls of Trèbes, was added south of the fifth span.

The history of the church is marked by several significant events, including his donation in 1215 by Guy de Vaux de Cernay to the cathedral chapter of Carcassonne, and the establishment of a perpetual vicar by Bishop Pierre de Rochefort in 1313. In the 19th century, notable changes were made, such as the installation of a false plaster vault in 1860, partially collapsed in 1977. In 2018, the church hosted a mass in tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Carcassonne and Trebes, celebrated by Bishop Alain Planet in the presence of local authorities and a large crowd.

The marble altarpiece of Caunes-Minervois, dating back to the late eighteenth century, and the painted crows of the thirteenth century, restored in 1980, testify to the heritage richness of the building. Today, Saint-Étienne Church remains an active place of worship, integrated into the parish of Sainte-Trinité-en-Alaric, which comprises twenty-eight surrounding communes. Its Gothic Languedoc architecture and medieval décor make it an emblematic monument to the religious heritage of Aude.

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