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Origin and history

The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption of Puget-Théniers, located in the Alpes-Maritimes, is a Catholic building marked by a complex monastic history. As early as 1066, it belonged to the abbey of Lérins, where it established a prosperous priory, the priory of Notre-Dame-de-Rodoline, with land, vineyards and buildings. This priory, also serving as a parish church, became an issue of tension between monks and local consuls in the 15th and 16th centuries, especially around tithes and maintenance of the building. The poverty of the diocese of Glandèves, on which Puget-Théniers depends, limits its architectural ambitions, preventing its transformation into collegiate.

Church architecture reflects several eras. Its semicircular apse, built in the last third of the 13th century, has a geared tooth frieze and regular apparatus, characteristic of Provencal influence. The western façade, remodeled in the 15th century, saw its portal moved and decorated with columns, while in the 18th century, the church was raised, with the addition of stucco vaults and side chapels. These modifications meet liturgical and aesthetic needs, while integrating Baroque elements such as polylobed bays.

The church furniture bears witness to its rich religious past. A polyptych attributed to Antoine Ronzen (1525), originally intended for the Augustins, mixes Flemish and Venetian influences. A sculptured group of the Passion (circa 1520), of Burgundy or Flemish origin, and a table of the Rosary (circa 1730) illustrate the artistic diversity of the building. The church, damaged by the earthquake of 1887, was restored and decorated by the painter L. Adami, before being classified as a historical monument in 1989.

The priory of Puget-Théniers, integrated into Nice County after 1388, remained under the authority of the Lérins Abbey until the Revolution. In 1599, prior Lascaris agreed to keep two monks and a priest there, preserving the rights of the abbey. The abolition of the Augustine convent in 1783 by Bishop Henri Hachette des Portes redistributes his property between the hospital of Entrevaux and the parish church, consolidating his central role in the community.

The church was consecrated in 1805 by the bishop of Nice, Jean-Baptiste Colonna d'Istria, marking his reassignment after revolutionary upheavals. Its furniture, enriched by works from the deleted convents, reflects the religious and political changes in the region. Today, it embodies both a medieval and baroque architectural heritage, and a testimony of ecclesiastical rivalries in Eastern Provence.

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