Collégiale de Bédouès

In 1310, Guillaume de Grimoard, son of another Guillaume de Grimoard, lord of Bellegarde, and Amphélyse de Sabran, lady of Montferrand, was born at the Château de Grizac in Gévaudan (today the commune of Pont-de-Montvert-Sud-Mont-Lozère). On September 13, 1362, Innocent VI, the fifth pope in Avignon, died. And it was a monk, this Guillaume de Grimoard, who was elected to succeed him. He would then take the name Urban V. In a papal bull in December 1363, Urban V decided to build a collegiate church on the tomb of his parents, not far from Bédouès, on the schist promontory overlooking the Tarn. The bull specified that 6 canon-priests, a deacon, and a sub-deacon were to be installed there. Thus, in 1365, the first canons arrived. They were then responsible for celebrating the office. Quickly, the collegiate church was fortified. Thus, it was adorned with four towers and embellished with a wall, giving it the appearance of a fortified castle. These fortifications thus made it possible to create a refuge for the inhabitants of the parish in case of conflict.

In 1580, during the Wars of Religion following the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, the Huguenot captain Matthieu Merle seized the fortified collegiate church. He then killed the canons who were reportedly thrown alive into the well, plundered their possessions, and destroyed part of the collegiate church.

Once peace returned, the collegiate church was rebuilt, but it suffered new destructions during the French Revolution. During the 19th century, the bishopric had it repaired again.

The collegiate church was built of schist, following the shape of a Latin cross. Following Merle's destructions, it was rebuilt with smaller dimensions and a Greek cross shape. The original dimensions were rediscovered after the 1854 restoration by Father Couderc. The complex was divided into two distinct parts: the church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and above it, the canons' house.

The exterior of the collegiate church is rather sober in terms of decorations. However, on the tympanum, one finds the coat of arms of Urban V (those of the Grimoard family, but adorned with the papal keys): Gules, a chief indented of four pieces Or. On the other hand, it has many interior decorations.

Bédouès Urban V Diocese of Mende List of bishops of Mende List of collegiate churches of France Urban V Way Tourism in Lozère

Resource related to religion: Clochers de France

The village of Bédouès - Urban V Way on a hike The Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption de Bédouès is a fortified church located in the commune of Bédouès-Cocurès in Lozère

Portal of Christian architecture Portal of Lozère and Gévaudan Portal of Languedoc-Roussillon