The Haunted Chapel of Genens: A Millennium-old Secret Beneath the French

Situated in rural France near Montréal, the church of Genens whispers tales of over a thousand years. Initially owned by a gentleman named Genengus, it was handed to the Abbey of Moissac in 680, quite possibly built or renovated upon an older church on the site. Fast forward to the early 12th century, when the Chaplaincy of Auch took over the construction of the current structure. However, the shift of the community's populace following the establishment of Montréal's bastide in 1255 left the church deserted.

The Protestant forces of Montgomery ravaged much of the church in 1569, and the Revolution brought about the demolition of its roof and bell tower. After a deconsecration, the church's materials were repurposed to mend the parish church of Montréal at the onset of the 19th century. The church was bestowed with monument status in 1979 and is now under the custody of the association Pour Genens, tasked with its preservation and renovation. The unadorned, small, square church features thin buttresses as its rhythm and boasts a rooftop-less choir, which is divided into three floors by cornices adorned with balls and supported by modillions in quarter-round.

Two arches rest on pilasters in the lower part, with a marble column and chapitel, antiquities reused, at the center. High windows in a pointed arch illuminate each bay, and a spiral staircase once offered access to the belfry in the southwest corner.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons