EGLISE SAINT-GENES

This beautiful Gothic building in the style of the Languedoc region was constructed in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, and had chapels added to it up to the 16th century. Mentioned as a parish church in 1251 in the registers of Pope John XXII, the church of Arzens was already listed in 1269 under the name of St Geniès. The history of Arzens has seen some dramatic episodes since the end of the 16th century. In 1574, the Huguenots captured the village, from which they were driven out by Baron de Mirepoix, the seigneur of Arzens. However, in 1591, the French Holy League took Pezens and laid siege to Arzens. According to eyewitness accounts, the priests were killed on the altar, the village burnt and razed, and the church set on fire. It was restored in the 19th century. A dated cross (1649) at the corner of Rue du Portanel and La Promenade is decorated with the symbol of the scallop shell, a reminder of the passage of pilgrims to Compostela. Saint-Genès church can only be admired from the outside, except on Heritage Days when tours are organised.