Heritage

Church of Saint John the Baptist in Mézin

Listed as a Historic Monument in 1840, the Church of Saint John the Baptist dominates the hill on which the town of Mézin is built. A monumental remnant of a Benedictine (Cluniac) monastery built around 1100, its architecture was greatly influenced by the Abbey Church of Saint Sever in the Landes region, particularly in terms of its Romanesque capitals.
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste church is laid out in the shape of a Latin cross. The Romanesque choir with its barrel vault, restored in the 19th century, dates from the 11th century. The 13th- and 14th-century nave is Gothic with ribbed vaults. The apses are contemporary with the choir. The bell tower was rebuilt in the 19th century following a fire. The stained glass windows date from the 19th century.
A statue of Saint James recalls its position on the Way of St. James.