CHURCH OF SAINTE-MARIE-ET-SAINT-PONS

The church of Sainte-Marie-et-Saint-Pons is located at the very top of the hill overlooking the old village, on the site of the former fortified castle. The old castle chapel, mentioned in texts as early as the 10th century, is placed under the name of Saint-Pons de Cimiez. The current constructions mainly date from the second half of the 12th century, even if the interior of the building has been modified. At the time of its construction, the vault of the Romanesque building was in a broken barrel vault, supported by double arches, it was however destroyed in the thirteenth or fourteenth century to be replaced by a painted framework, supported by diaphragm arches. In the 19th century, the framework was removed and replaced by a brick vault. It is, with the walls, decorated with a false painted stone device. Painted beams belonging to this framework were found in 2004. Since then, it has taken some time to treat them. They are dated around 1275. Attentive visitors will notice on the door of the building the coat of arms of the commune, invented by the parish priest in the 1940s. Its fitted out terrace offers a beautiful panorama covering a good part of the Hérault valley.