The Church of Notre-Dame in Vals

The church of Vals dedicated to Notre-Dame, largely Romanesque, is built on three levels. This religious building is one of the main monuments of the Ariège region and is also an important landmark of Pyrenean Romanesque art, in particular for its early 12th century frescoes. The church is partially built into the surrounding rock and is entered through a door leading into a cave-like interior. The foundations of the church date from the 10th century, although portions of it are from the 12th and 14th centuries. The lower part of the sanctuary is decorated with a Romanesque fresco. In the 19th century, beautiful stained glass windows were installed, making the church a mixture of ancient sculptures and relatively modern frescoes. These frescoes, which underwent exemplary restoration and enhancement in 2007 and 2008, present three aspects of Christ's life: his coming into the world (Annunciation, Bath of the Christ Child and Adoration of the Magi), the Gospel period (apostles) and the Parousia (Christ in majesty, surrounded by the symbols of the four evangelists). Among the figures surrounding Christ are the four archangels. This theme, rarely represented, is to date the only one known in France.