Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The house at Saint-Gilles, in the Gard, dates from the 16th century and houses a remarkable statue representing Saint Gilles, the mitré bishop, dressed in priestly ornaments. He holds a lacrosse with his left hand and blesses the right, while a deer, a legendary symbol of the saint, stands at his feet. This sculpture, probably contemporary of construction, illustrates the local devotion towards Saint Gilles, patron saint of the city.

The statue and its niche, located at the corner of the house on the Grande-Rue (today Street de l'Hôtel-de-Ville), were inscribed as Historic Monument by order of 6 December 1949. This classification highlights their heritage value, linked to both their seniority and their religious iconography. The approximate location, noted as "passable" (level 5/10), corresponds to the address 1 Street of the Town Hall.

Saint-Gilles, a prosperous medieval town in Languedoc, was a major pilgrimage site on Via Tolosana, road to Santiago de Compostela. The presence of this statue reflects the cultural and economic importance of the city during the Renaissance, where holy representations often adorned the facades of bourgeois houses or public buildings. The beech, an emblematic attribute of Saint Gilles, recalls the legend of its miraculous protection during a hunt.

External links