CHURCH OF MAS-SAINT-CHÉLY

The church of Mas St-Chély dates from the 19th century. The imposing size of the building and its slender appearance may seem surprising in the arid landscape of the Causse Méjean plateau. Its purpose was to reaffirm the power of the Church while also addressing the needs of a growing population. Built in the Neo-Gothic style, the church is organized around a Latin cross plan, entirely rib-vaulted. The bell tower-porch, which forms its façade, features a horizontal arrangement of bays framed by buttresses, culminating in a spire. The church also houses one of the oldest bells in the diocese of Mende, dated 1362 (a listed historical monument), which originally belonged to the nearby Saint-Côme chapel. Remarkable for the purity of its lines, it also bears two inscriptions. The first, Gothic, features the dedication of the bell to Saint Martin "MARTINUS VOCOR" ("my name is Martin") while the second, more recent, indicates "I BELONG TO SAINT-COME".