Chapel Notre-Dame (Cahuzac)

About

Listed as a historic monument since 2017, the Notre-Dame de Cahuzac Chapel remains a place of spirituality and history that attracts curious visitors, believers and enthusiasts of sacred architecture.

According to legend, it all began in 1513. A young shepherd, grazing his cows along a small garden, found himself unable to move his animals beyond an elm tree. Intrigued by this event, he noticed a great light on the trunk of this tree, which surrounded a small figure of Our Lady of Mercy. He immediately prostrated himself. The monks of Gimont, informed of this miracle, took the image and transported it to their church. But, to their great surprise, the next day the image of the Virgin was no longer in the abbey. It reappeared in its original location, in the elm tree. The phenomenon repeated itself a third time, reinforcing the conviction that it was a divine sign. Thus, between 1515 and 1530, Abbot Pierre de Bidos had the chapel built on this site, making Cahuzac a place of pilgrimage.
The room in the park, now known as the ‘Pilgrim’s Shelter’, still bears witness to this vocation of welcoming pilgrims for a rest. It is now used as a meeting room for local associations.

The chapel is distinguished by its octagonal bell tower, whose cross rises to a height of approximately 33 metres. The main entrance is adorned with a finely crafted Gothic tympanum. It features a statue of the Virgin Mary, surmounted by a representation of God the Father, as well as the coat of arms of Aymeric de Bidos, the abbot who built the chapel. On either side are the monograms of Mary and Jesus, and fleur-de-lis mouldings complete the decoration of this tympanum. The church door, carved from solid oak, depicts the twelve apostles, each identifiable by their own symbol.

Inside, the pentagonal nave is approximately 18 metres long and 9 metres wide, with a height of 13 metres under the keystones. Seven stained-glass windows illuminate the interior, including a central window depicting the crucifixion of Christ, framed by the Virgin Mary and Saint John.

One of the chapel’s artistic treasures is undoubtedly the Pietà altarpiece, which has been listed as a historic monument since 1 July 1905. It features a life-size statue of the Virgin Mary holding her dead son on her lap. At the top of the altarpiece, the Eternal Father appears with his arms raised in blessing. A coat of arms is also visible, bearing the inscription Mater Pietatis: Mother of Mercy.

Finally, the current organ replaces the original organ built by Maurice Puget in 1927-1928. This instrument was donated by Aimé Mouchet, a doctor from Cahuzac who died in Gimont during the Second World War.

Spoken languages : French

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En train : A moins de 20 mn à pied de la gare de Gimont-Cahuzac ! (environ 17 min et 1425 m).

En car : A moins de 10 mn à pied de l’arrêt GIMONT – Halle !
Cet arrêt est situé sur les lignes : AUCH – TOULOUSE

Environ 0 min (58 m).

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