Église Saint-Étienne de Capestang, Gothic church in Capestang, France
The Église Saint-Étienne in Capestang is a Gothic church with an incomplete nave divided into two bays, side chapels, and a square bell tower. This tower rises above the southern chapel and stands as the main vertical landmark of the building.
Construction started in the 13th century on the site where Saint-Felix Church once stood, continuing through the early 14th century. Money ran short and building stopped, leaving the nave without its planned completion.
The church holds marble altars from Caunes-Minervois and neo-Gothic choir stalls inside its walls. Stained glass windows made by the Monvernay workshop in 1868 fill the space with colored light and religious imagery.
Climbing to the bell tower gives wide views across the surrounding land, reaching toward the Cévennes foothills, the Pyrénées, and Mont Canigou on clear days. The tower stairs demand some physical effort, so plan accordingly.
Five bells hang in the tower and were restored in 2006, bringing their sounds back to the town regularly. This restoration work made the centuries-old system ring again and echoes across the landscape once more.
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