Church Sainte-Marie de Torreneules (Argelès-sur-mer)

Sainte-Marie de Torreneules is a Romance church, in ruins, located today in a small valley of the solid mass of the Albères, on the territory of the commune of Argelès-sur-Mer in the department of the the Eastern Pyrenees.

History

Located in the small valley close to the Abbey of Valbonne, the history of this church is partly dependant there. The origins of this church are however much older than the aforementioned abbey, indeed, it is mentioned for the first time into 844 in the sentance of a lawsuit. It is about the church of a hamlet or grouping of dwellings the top Moyen-Âge. It was, until the 13th century, on a territory pertaining to the abbey Sant-Quirc de Colera, located on the southern slope of the Albères (today in Spain). At the 13th century this territory, as well as the church of Torreneules, was sold with the abbey Cistercienne of Fontfroide, the monks whose founded the Abbaye of Valbonne located at 2 km in north. Consequently the church of Torreneules was dedicated to Saint Michel, to avoid the too great proximity of two sanctuaries dedicated to Sainte Marie. The church was used until the 18th century approximately, before being little by little abandoned. She ruined herself then little by little but remained still upright. It is only in 1944, when it was used as ammunition dump by German, that it was destroyed almost entirely by an explosion of this one.

Ruins of the church

The remainders of this church very scattered and are covered per much thick vegetation. However one still perceives the plan and part of the rise in the apse. It is about a church in the particular plan, with three naves arched in cradle. The central nave is closed in the east by a rectangular apse, while the side aisles are closed by semicircular apses. It is about a church pre Romance, characterized by the rectangular apse. The side apses are a little later, but are also pre-Romance. By its style the church can be the 9th century. One found in the chorus of the traces of medieval mural (disappeared today), letting think that the interior was formerly decorated.

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