Église Sainte-Marthe

About

The Saint-Pierre de Vernaux church, sometimes called the Sainte-Marthe church, is a Romanesque church located in the commune of Vernaux, Ariège, France.

History: The Saint-Pierre church, surrounded by the cemetery, is a small parish building erected by the Benedictines of the abbey of Sainte-Marie de Lagrasse. It was built in the 12th century with tuff, soft stone that is not resistant to time, which gives it this gnawed aspect from the outside. The church would have been the chapel of a convent with a hospital vocation for pilgrims. It is classified by order of 19 November 1910. The interior monumental paintings, dated from the 15th century (chœur) and 19th century (nef), were released in 1983 and restored in 1984. They are included in the General Inventory of Cultural Heritage.

Description: It is a building with a simple nave with a drawn plan, finished with an apse in cul-de-four, with a slate cover and with adjoining cemetery. Its lateral facades are flanked by two ventruous apsidioles. Sacristy and current entry were raised later. A small bell tower with two arches, reworked, crowns the western facade.