The Chapel of Saint Roch

Saint Roch is the patron saint of the medical professions, of abused animals, and the healer of those afflicted by the plague. The veneration of Saint Roch developed particularly in Bigorre during the plague epidemics of the 17th century. This chapel is crowned by a bell turret with the curved and counter-curved lines characteristic of Baroque art. Two pilasters frame the doorway, and the square-section bars on the façade are arranged in a diamond pattern, which creates an interplay of light and shadow inside. In 1822, the town council had it restored and carried out major interior works in 1847. In the 1980s, the roof was re-thatched and, at the instigation of Denis Pécassou, assisted by a group of volunteers, the entire interior was adorned with wall frescoes. These frescoes depict scenes of rural life linked to religion: - ‘the Rogation processions’: the priest, in procession with the congregation, would bless the fields, stopping at the village crosses. - the blessing of the village’s livestock, which took place once a year.