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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame de Lamourguier, in Narbonne, was quoted as St Mary in 782 when Count Milon and Archbishop Daniel were judged. In the 11th century, it passed into the hands of the Nicolaites, heretical clerics, before being attached in 1078–86 to the Abbey of Saint-Victor of Marseilles under the name of Beata Maria de la Morguia. This Benedictine priory, of southern Gothic style, is distinguished by a unique nave covered with frame, diaphragm arches, and a crenellated bedside integrated with the ramparts.

In the 16th century, the priory declined: Mass was more celebrated in 1572, and in 1602, only three religious remained. In 1662 Archbishop François Fouquet, exiled to Alençon, urged the priory to join the congregation of Saint-Maur, which restored him. After the Revolution, the convent buildings became a barracks (1824–89) before being destroyed in 1902, while the church, classified in 1900, served as a lapidary repository from 1868 to 2018, housing 1,700 archaeological artifacts.

The building, marked by a rare rupture of curve in its first diaphragm arch, preserves Romanesque remains (baie en plein hangre, portail meridional) and an openwork gallery of the fourteenth century. The bedside, coupled with the ramparts, bears witness to its defensive role. In 1871, the church briefly housed the Revolution Club during the Commune of Narbonne. Disused since 2018, she awaits a new vocation after the transfer of her collections to the Narbo Via Museum.

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