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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Church in Trie-sur-Baïse is a Gothic religious building built between 1484 and 1510, although its local legend dates back to 1325 or 1355. According to this tradition, the notables of the city, unable to agree on the location of the chapel, were guided by a miraculous snowfall in August, revealing a cross-shaped terrain. The construction of the present church began in the 15th century and ended in 1494, although later changes, especially in the 19th century, transformed its appearance.

The southern Gothic building is distinguished by a unique nave of six spans, a polygonal choir and biblical stained glass windows. Its bell tower, 27 meters high with an arrow of 6 meters, was completed in the 19th century, bringing its total height to more than 50 meters. The vault of the nave, in bricks with warhead crosses, contrasts with the stone elements of diagonals and formationets, typical of local architecture.

Ranked a historic monument in 1928, the church underwent major changes in the 19th century, such as the addition of a walk-in and murals in the choir. The legend of its foundation, linked to summer snow, remains a central element of its identity, although architectural traces reveal a more complex history, marked by successive redevelopments.

Originally a collegiate church, it became a parish church after the demolition of a first building in the 19th century. Its transept, covered with vaults with liernes and thirdons of the 16th century, and its lateral chapels testify to its stylistic evolution. The materials used, such as stone and pebbles for the bell tower, reflect local resources and medieval construction techniques adapted to regional constraints.

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