Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Cintegabelle, classified as a Historic Monument in 1984, has its origins in the 15th century, a time when Cintegabelle was a strategic fortified town on the banks of the Ariège, protected by a castle that is now extinct (destroyed in the 17th century). This village, marked by the wars of Religion, sees its church equipped with a unique nave divided by broken diaphragm arches and vaults decorated with liernes and thirdons. The lateral chapels, the oldest of which occupies the northwest corner, bear witness to its architectural evolution.

In the 18th century, the building incorporated elements of the management style, notably in the five-part choir, where stalls and panelling enriched the space. The French Revolution brought him some of the furniture of Boulbonne Abbey, dismantled at this time. The bell tower, characteristic, rests on a square tower and rises into three octagonal floors. Outside, a round path dominates the whole, recalling the defensive past of the site.

The church is distinguished by its stained glass windows representing the apostles, housed in flamboyant reamped windows, and its status as communal property. Its architecture thus combines medieval heritage (broken arches, Gothic vaults) and classical additions (Directory decor), reflecting the historical upheavals of the region, from religious conflicts to revolutionary redevelopments.

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