Saccourvielle
Church of Saint-Barthélemy

The 11th Century church of Saccourvielle is built with regular stones of schist and sandstone. As you approach, you will see that its belfry is built in the Lombard or Italo-Catalan style, and is one of the finest in the valley of the Comminges, with its receding levels and the succession of semi-circular windows on each storey . The way each of the windows is topped by a Lombard band, a frieze of small arches, adds to the illusion of multiplicity. This was really the only decoration used on the 11th Century churches in the valley, which testifies to their sobriety.