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Origin and history

The church Saint-Pons de Candell is a Romanesque church located in the hamlet of Candell, near Fontcouverte, on the town of Caixas (Pyrénées-Orientales). As early as the 12th century, a Saint-Michel church existed on this site, attached to the abbey of Saint-Sauveur de Sira. It was then transferred to the Templars, then to the Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Mas Deu after the closure of the Abbey in 1273.

In 1268, a chapel dedicated to Saint-Pons was mentioned for the first time, without it being clear whether it was a new construction or a name change. The current building, with its carpented nave and 13th century apse, retains a gate in the middle of the hangar and a bell tower above the western wall. This monument illustrates the architectural and religious evolution of the region.

A local tradition of ear anointing persists in Candell: every year a priest anoints the ears of the faithful to encourage the listening of God. Historically, people with hearing problems came especially for this ceremony, testifying to the spiritual and community dimension of the place.

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