Church of St. John the Baptist Abbeys, Churches, Monasteries, Priories in Larrau

This building, undertaken in 1193, was originally the chapel of a hospital - priory dependent on the Abbey of Sauvelade. The small rectangular nave was extended in the first half of the 16th century to the west, with a bell tower and framed to the east by two side chapels. The damage suffered during the wars of religion led to reparations in 1655. The church, abandoned during the Revolution, served as a fodder shed during the passage of a troop of 10,000 men, before becoming a parish church.

The church still retains a Romanesque apse today and has been listed in its entirety as a Historic Monument since 2003.

It was the subject in 2008 of a restoration of its interior and its furniture.

In addition, sound and light equipment, lasting 40 minutes, was installed to retrace the rich and intimately linked history of the village and its church, through the enhancement of the furniture (classified or registered), vaults , stained glass windows…

A history marked by the passage of pilgrims who went to Santiago de Compostela, via the Saint Joseph chapel, built in 1656 at 1300 m altitude by the monks of the village. A history steeped in the way of life of breeders, witnesses of the harshness of mountain and cross-border life.

Prices: audio guide 2€ for 45 minutes (self-guided tour)