ÉGLISE SAINT-JEAN-BAPTISTE – LES ESTRETS
FONTANS , Lozère – Cultural heritage
About
In medieval times, the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste des Estrets was a private chapel of the Knights of Malta. It was enlarged in the 19th century with the addition of two further bays and became a parish church in 1846. It retains symbols of its Hospitaller past and has architectural features such as its south portal. Traduction automatique par DeepL via DATAtourisme
Mentioned as a simple private chapel of the Knights of Malta since the Middle Ages, it became a parish church in 1843. On the oak ambo, there is a Maltese cross, symbol of this dependence
The south portal of the church is remarkable for its keystone where the key and the cross are intertwined. It is surmounted by a limestone niche in which is a Virgin. The choir is topped by a two-bay bell tower with a pinnacle symbolizing the Trinity.
Inside, the last bay, with its large granite facing, would have been the main part of the chapel in medieval times. The other two bays were added during the 19th century and can be recognised by their light plastered vaults. The choir houses a magnificent oak and lime wood altar depicting the Last Supper after Leonardo da Vinci in bas-relief. A statue of St. John the Baptist can be found in the baptismal font chapel. Traduction automatique par DeepL via DATAtourisme
