CHURCH OF THE TEMPLARS

About us

Its real name is the Saint-André church, and it is one of the religious buildings of the 12th century in a perfect state of preservation. Fortified by the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem in the 14th century - and not by the Templars - to protect themselves from bandit troops during periods of insecurity, it was then occupied by the Order of Malta in the 18th century.

This church incorporates architectural elements from a medieval fortress with traces of a drawbridge, battlements, loopholes, two towers, one of which is called the Arsenal and a second which served as a keep (now equipped with a clock). A remarkable vault representing Christ and four evangelists adorns the entrance. Within the ramparts, tombs attest to the presence of an ancient cemetery. At the level of the choir, the golden vault showing Saint Andrew with Jesus, the high altar and the baroque tabernacle from the 1650th century, harmoniously illuminate the interior volumes of the monument. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Pitié, built in the XNUMXth century as an ex-voto dedicated to the Virgin Mary following the terrible plague of XNUMX, now houses the Musée du Trésor, a place of exhibition of sacred art objects, the oldest of which date from the XNUMXth century.

Victor Hugo drew this unique church from the window of his
room during his stay in Luz in 1843.

• Theme(s):

  Church