Église Sainte-Colombe de Cases-de-Pène

About

Sainte-Colombe Church is a Romanesque church in Cases-de-Pène, French department of the Pyrénées-Orientales.

Toponymy and situation: In Catalan, the church is called Santa Coloma de Pena or Santa Coloma de Cavanac. The church is located in Santa Coloma (or Sainte-Colombe), west of the village of Cases-de-Pène, in the French department of the Pyrénées-Orientales. This place is located on the banks of the Agly, in a meander. It is overhanged by the ruins of the old castle of Cases-de-Pène, placed much higher on cliffs.

History: Villa Cavanac is mentioned from 901. It was a vast agricultural estate extending to the current Santa Coloma de Cases-de-Pène, but also to the other side of the Agly, to the current farmhouse of Jau. In the Middle Ages, this estate included two hamlets: Santa Maria de Cavanac (present-day Mas de Jau) and Santa Coloma de Cavanac, in the municipalities of Cases-de-Pène, Estagel and Calce. Few ancient texts cite this church. One date from 1063. Another, from 1265, reports it as abandoned. His situation near Agly, subject to regular flooding, could be the reason for this decommissioning...