SAINT MICHEL DE VIELLA CHURCH

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This church, dedicated to Saint-Michel, of Romanesque origin, was rebuilt except for the bell tower in 1856. This massive tower houses two bells. The one on the right, dated 1949, replaces an old cracked bell from 1874. And the one on the right, from the same period, smaller, replaces a cracked one from 1871. Both were cast by the Fourcade workshop in Tarbes and were financed by parish subscription. The beautifully crafted chrism, 70 cm in diameter, was made in 1856, based on the pre-existing Romanesque example. It is close to the chrism of the church of Viey with its arcades representing the doors of the temple of the celestial Jerusalem and of Sers with its animals. This church was listed as a Historic Monument in July 1990.
Inside, a superb baroque altarpiece from the Soustre d'Asté workshop commissioned in 1700 from Jean II. It has an architecture on three levels: basement, main floor surmounted by an attic and three bays delimited by four richly decorated twisted columns. In the central niche sits a Saint Michael in ancient costume, with a golden helmet, adorned with an egret, and crowned with a scallop shell. He slays the dragon as in the altarpiece of the church of Vizos. He holds a flaming sword in one hand and scales in the other. That of the Last Judgment. Above, two angels present a coat of arms composed of two crossed arrows directed towards the ground. In the attic, God the Father stretches out his hand, in the middle of cherubs. He is framed, on his right, by the beautiful Saint Mary Magdalene with her perfume bottle with a skull at her feet, symbol of death and, on his left, Saint Margaret of Antioch crushing with her cross, the tempting demon . On either side of the pilasters framing Saint Michael are Saint Peter with his key and Saint Paul with his sword. The four twisted columns are each decorated at their base with the representation of the four Evangelists from left to right: Luke, John, Matthew and Mark.
On the altar, superb tabernacle, dazzling with all its gilding. The right panel is dedicated to the Birth of Jesus and the left panel to the Assumption of Mary. The tabernacle is dominated by the risen Christ standing on a gadrooned dome; in some churches it is replaced by the cross. The presence of the latter, according to some scholars, would not conform to the directives of the Council of Trent. There, Christ on the cross is on the door of the tabernacle. It is framed by carved panels covered with rich gilding. They represent, on the left, the Assumption and, on the right, the Nativity. These three elements, door and panels, are separated by twisted columns. It is likely that the date 1730 marked on a statue is that of the laying of the gilding. Beautiful processional cross.
The entrance houses a clamshell standing in black blue limestone.

The church is closed, it can be opened on request at the town hall.

Sources: www.patrimoines-lourdes-gavarnie.fr

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