Aigues-Mortes

The Church of Notre-Dame des Sablons was built between the 13th and 14th centuries, at a time when the city was booming under the reign of Saint Louis. This remarkable monument harmoniously blends Gothic and Romanesque styles, with superb flying buttresses and a large rose window adorning its façade. Its simple yet majestic stone architecture has survived the centuries, offering a fascinating glimpse into the medieval era.

Inside, the large nave and side chapels create a unique atmosphere, conducive to contemplation and prayer. Light filtering through the stained-glass windows floods the space with vibrant colors, adding to the beauty of the setting. The church was built to meet the needs of a growing population, particularly thanks to the prosperity of the royal port of Aigues-Mortes under Saint Louis.

The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Sablons: A Thousand-Year Witness to the History of Aigues-Mortes
Nestled in the heart of the fortified city of Aigues-Mortes, the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Sablons embodies both medieval spirituality and the living memory of a city founded as the starting point for the French Crusades. An emblematic monument of Southern Gothic heritage, it is the oldest religious building in the city still in use, bearing witness to both the great moments and the turmoil of local history.

A Foundation in the Time of Saint Louis
The construction of the church dates back to the first half of the 13th century, probably around 1246, at the initiative of Louis IX, better known as Saint Louis. This pious king, eager to provide the kingdom with a safe Mediterranean port, founded the town of Aigues-Mortes in the heart of the marshes of the Petite Camargue. The objective was strategic: to have a departure point to the Holy Land, independent of the ports controlled by rival powers, particularly those of the County of Provence.

The church was built in this context of religious fervor and military zeal. It already bore the name Notre-Dame-des-Sablons, in reference to the sandy expanses that once formed the surrounding landscape. The building probably served as a place of prayer and blessing for the crusaders before their embarkation. According to local tradition, Saint Louis attended mass there before his departure for the Seventh Crusade in 1248.

Architecture: A sober and defensive Southern Gothic style
The church was built according to the principles of Southern Gothic, an austere and robust style adapted to the regions of southern France. Its thick façade, its blind walls pierced with rare openings, its massive buttresses, and its flat chevet testify to an architecture that was both spiritual and defensive. Originally, the interior probably had a pointed barrel vault, but numerous restorations have modified its structure over time.

Built of Beaucaire stone, a light-colored and resistant limestone, the church has withstood the instability of the marshy soil and the vicissitudes of the centuries. It was once roofed with Roman tiles and topped with a small bell tower, replaced over the centuries by a more discreet structure.

The Wars of Religion and the Modern Period
The church experienced dark times during the Wars of Religion in the 16th century. In 1575, the Protestants seized the town and desecrated the building. The statues were destroyed, the altars demolished, and the frescoes erased. The church was even temporarily converted to other uses, losing its religious role.

During the French Revolution, it was deconsecrated like so many other religious monuments across France. Converted into a salt warehouse, then a military store, it fell into disrepair and was emptied of its liturgical elements. It was only in the 19th century that the building gradually regained its religious function thanks to a series of restorations undertaken in a spirit of rediscovering its medieval heritage.

Restorations and Contemporary Renewal
Major restorations of the church began in 1865, under the direction of the Historical Monuments Authority. The objective was to restore the building to its original simplicity, removing the Baroque and Classical additions made over the centuries. In 1949, the church was officially listed as a Historic Monument.

Inside, the space has been deliberately refined: ornamentation is sparse, with an emphasis on light and verticality. This simplicity is now enhanced by a series of contemporary stained-glass windows created in the 1990s by Claude Viallat, a major artist of the Support/Surface movement, born in Nîmes. These abstract and colorful stained-glass windows play with the southern light and give the building a poetic dimension. One of the windows even evokes the crosses of the Templars, a tribute to the city's religious and military past.

A church that still thrives
Today, Notre-Dame-des-Sablons is much more than a historic monument: it is an active place of worship, hosting services, concerts, and exhibitions, and is an integral part of the cultural life of Aigues-Mortes. It is also a must-see for visitors, who find a haven of freshness, silence, and spirituality in the heart of the medieval city.

Witness to eight centuries of history, the Notre-Dame-des-Sablons church continues to connect the past to the present, between sacred memory, contemporary art and living heritage.