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Large
Gothic-style church: 30 m long, 11 m wide and 13 m high.
The current church dates from the fourteenth century (the old bell is
engraved with the year 1399). But
a
primary church already existed in the twelfth century: 13 churches were
present
in the Mattes country; the construction of the fortress of Montlaur (in
the
twelfth century) profited the church by attracting the population of
the valley.
The church suffered from the wars
and the troubles which broke out in the region. Firstly
built without a chapel, it was
shorter; the low and narrow sacristy was located next to the belfry. In 1632 struggles between
the troops of the
Duke of Montmorency (Governor of the Languedoc) and
of King Louis XIII caused the destruction of the belfry and the
sacristy. A
donation from the king allowed the
reconstruction of the belfry (completed in 1878) and of a new sacristy
on the
right of the choir. Its
keystone is
engraved 1634.
At the time, thanks to the generosity
of wealthy families, two chapels were built: to the left of the nave,
Chapel Notre
Dame of the Rosary and to the right of the nave, Chapel Saint-Michael. In the nineteenth century
(around 1860-75) Chapel
Saint-Joseph (on the left) and Chapel Notre Dame (on the right) were
built. Chapel Notre
Dame of the Rosary would become Chapel
Saint-Roch then Chapel of the Sacred Heart. The
church was restored in 1876 when a stand
and a pulpit (now suppressed) were added and the vault raised.
A squared cemetery used to surround
the church; it was transferred to the edge of the village in 1854
following a
cholera epidemic.
The church is under the protection
of Saint-Eulalia of Merida whose
cult was imported by a Visigoth woman returning from Spain. Numerous
persons have been buried there.
Services: Montlaur
belongs to the parish of the Trinity
of the Alaric (group of 26 churches). Religious
services, days and opening times during summertime for visits or
meditation are
posted on the external board next to the church side entrance. Ms Monique Rigal and Ms
Claire Taudou will be
your guides.
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