St Peter’s Church

Under the auspices of the parish priest, Father Jean-Claude FERRET, and on the initiative of Mr Philippe FOLLIOT, Senator and Municipal Councillor for the commune of Saint-Pierre-de-Trivisy – with Mr Pascal CAVAILLES serving as mayor – it was decided in 2022–2023 to carry out the interior restoration of the church.

This project was successfully completed thanks to donations from the preparatory association for the ‘Petit Haricot’ Foundation, chaired by Ms LIU Jing (50 per cent), with financial contributions from the State (DETR 35 per cent), the parish (10 per cent) and the local council (5 per cent). The total cost of the entire restoration project (façade, bell tower, carillon, frescoes, paintings, lighting, etc.) amounted to €870,000.

- The Carillon
Of the three original bells, only one is authentic: the one dating from 1762. It was listed as a historic monument on 12 January 2016. The second, dating from 1809, has been retuned, and the third, having been recast, is now named Saint-Charles.
By agreement, two bells from decommissioned churches in the town of Graulhet are held here on loan. Six new bells were cast by Etablissements CORNILLE-HAVARD in Normandy: three thanks to private donations (Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, Saint Joan of Arc, Saint Anne) and three others thanks to the PETIT-HARICOT association (Saint Peter, Saint Emilie of Villeneuve, Saint Cecilia).

-The paintings in the church
are very typical of the late 19th–early 20th century and are quite exceptional in that they have been preserved ever since Paul-Noël LASSERAN painted them in 1931. This artist’s works, of which there are many in the Gers department, are for the most part listed or classified under the historic monuments protection scheme. The remarkable central fresco depicts, within an original 19th-century setting, the Last Supper, Christ’s final meal. Like the other two in the chancel, it is painted after engravings by Julius VEIT HANS SCHNORR VON CAROLSFELD (Leipzig 1794 – Munich 1872), a German painter and engraver representative of the Nazarene movement.
They were restored in 2023 by ATELIER 32, a company accredited by the Historic Monuments authority.

- The Virgin and Child
is an exceptional 14th-century polychrome limestone sculpture, dated between 1375 and 1400. It was listed as a historic monument on 22 November 2012 and has been on display in the Sainte-Marie Chapel since 2017. This sculpture, originally housed in the chapel of Roucayrols Castle – which no longer exists – was probably a devotional statue intended to cure illnesses, as evidenced by the Virgin’s foot, which has been polished smooth by the hands of the faithful.

-The banner “Sacred Heart of Jesus, Hope and Salvation of France”,
listed as a historic monument on 12 January 2016, is on display in the Chapel of Saint Joseph. It is a perfectly preserved testament to that turbulent period at the start of the 20th century, caught between a proud affirmation of Christian roots and a demand for secularism. This flag, bearing the image of the Heart of Jesus, dates from the time of the Great War and is identical to those blessed by the army at Paray-Le-Monial on 26 March 1917.

-The stained-glass windows
are quite remarkable for their quality, finesse and designs. Produced in 1901 by the renowned SAINT-BLANCAT workshop in TOULOUSE, they were fully restored in 2023 by the EN VERRE ET CONTRE TOUT workshop in CASTRES.

- You can also discover… in the nave, a beautiful STATION OF THE CROSS (1867) that is particularly well-preserved; in the chancel, a remarkable LECTERN and a BISHOP’S CHAIR (1874) crafted from intricately carved wood, as well as a beautiful WHITE MARBLE ALTAR featuring a depiction of the Lamb of God. A magnificent CLOCK MECHANISM (1925) from the bell tower is now on display near the baptismal font.