SAINT-HILAIRE CHURCH – SAINT-CHELY-D'APCHER

Saint-Chély is thought to be a regional corruption of Saint-Hilaire. Before the French Revolution, it was called Sancti-Hilari de Capoleg. This church originated as a small chapel erected in the mid-16th century on the same site. The current church retains two-thirds of this earlier structure. In 1690, the parish was moved from the cemetery chapel to the chapel within the town walls. Built of granite, it has several distinctive features: the absence of a bell tower and its location within the town, leaving access only at its west and east facades. Its entrance portal is remarkable for its pointed arches and its woodwork bearing the coat of arms of the Barons of Apcher and the Languedoc cross. In the left aisle is a beautiful 17th-century Pietà. Also worth seeing are the altar of the Blessed Sacrament to the south and the altar of Our Lady of Pity to the north. The chancel remains the only part decorated with paintings featuring floral motifs.