SAINT-FELIX-LAURAGAIS COLLEGIATE CHURCH

About

The highlight of St-Félix-Lauragais. The Collegiate Church dates from 1317 and contains a magnificent organ from 1781, classified as a historical monument and completely restored.

Built in the early 14th century, the collegiate church of Saint-Félix-Lauragais replaced the castle chapel as the parish church. Built on a rather small plot of land, it is 50m long, 26m wide and 19m high under the vault. The 42-metre-high bell tower reaches for the heavens. The architecture of the building is in the Southern Gothic style: a single nave, chapels between the buttresses, mitre arches on the levels of the bell tower, completed by decorative elements typical of Flamboyant Gothic (high-relief sculpture). The church of Saint-Félix became a collegiate church in 1317 during the pontificate of John XXII. This honorary title established a chapter of canons whose mission was to preach the Catholic faith during the Inquisition and in the aftermath of the crusade against the Albigensians/cathars. Saint-Félix had a little help from the Lord of the village, who was none other than the Pope’s brother. One of the masterpieces of the Collegiate Church is without doubt the organ and its superb Louis XV case. The organ was built in the 18th century, between 1780 and 1781. It underwent an epic restoration! It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1967. The first restoration took place in 1930, so that the organ could play Romantic music! The restorers added keyboards therefore notes to the organ. So Déodat de Séverac was able to play his romantic compositions. In 1989, a restorer from the Monuments Historiques came to Saint-Félix-Lauragais and discovered this magnificent 18th-century organ, still in all its original materials. Many organs today are mechanised and modernised for greater convenience. The organ at Saint-Félix still has its large bellows made of rabbit skins, glued together with ‘fish bone’ glue. Depending on the outside temperature, the rabbit skins also had to be moistened with a cloth… The restorer was amazed, but soon realised that the organ had been modified! What an idea to add notes! So it was decided to remove them all! The organ was restored for the second time between 1990 and 1992, losing its romantic style but regaining its original appearance.

Spoken languages : English – Spanish

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• Maximal number of persons 50

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