Église Sainte-Croix
Place Abbé Menjoulet, 64400 Oloron-Sainte-Marie
- Pyrénées-Atlantiques
- Nouvelle-Aquitaine
The pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela encouraged the construction of buildings on the roads, especially at the end of the 11th century and at the beginning of the 12th century. Thus the Church of the Holy Cross was built, at the end of the reign of Gaston IV known as the Crusader (1090-1131). The success of this viscount in Spain, like the takeover of Zaragoza to the Muslims in 1118, undoubtedly financed the work. This church was dedicated to the Holy Cross, as was common in that period, even if no relic of the True Cross was kept there. Moreover, no tradition has kept the memory of such relics, so that to fill this gap, Abbé Menjoulet brought those of Saint Clement in 1861.
The building, dated to the end of the 11th century, recalls the crusades in which the Viscounts of Béarnais participated. Remarkable feature: a Mozarabic-inspired dome, supported by square ribs arranged in an 8-pointed star.
Etiquetas
Monument historique, Édifice religieux
© Service Patrimoine OSM
