Church of Our Lady of Bethlehem

An essential stop on the Haute-Provence Geopark discovery route, the Notre-Dame de Bethléem church, listed as a Historic Monument, is a surprising building.

In a preserved natural environment, in the heart of the Monges massif, the village of Bayons has no shortage of attractions, including its monumental church! You will be surprised by its dimensions (35 m long!) and by the quality of its architecture. The construction of Notre-Dame de Bethléem probably dates back to the 13th century and testifies to the importance of the Bayons community at that time. It is a major building of Romanesque art in Haute-Provence but Gothic influences are notable in the portal, the vault of the choir and the bell tower, which is not lacking in elegance with its two floors, its bays and its pyramidal spire.
The single nave, vaulted with a broken barrel vault, exudes an unexpected sense of volume reminiscent of Notre-Dame de Nazareth in Seyne-les-Alpes or the Notre-Dame du Bourg cathedral in Digne-les-Bains. You can admire the beautiful altarpiece known as the Adoration of the Magi, the sculpted pulpit, a Virgin and Child, the paintings of Saint Blaise and the Assumption, and the gilded high altar.