The Saint-Michel chapel is located in the commune of Sournia, in the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, 24 km north of Prades (by road).
Located southwest of the village, isolated in the woods, the building is mentioned at the end of the 10th century in a bull from Pope John XVI. However, the main nave would predate the year 950 and the spread of Mozarabic architecture in the region, falling rather in the Visigothic style. In fact, the parish was in its time part of the Visigothic kingdom of Toulouse (419-507) then of the Visigothic kingdom of Toledo (507-711).
As for the side nave, on the other hand, its Mozarabic character is incontestable and it therefore dates from a later period... We notice that the nave and the apse, separated by a wall opened by a breach, both follow a trapezoidal path.
Furthermore, on the west side, the remains of a tower remain visible, and we observe that the side nave is extended by a rounded apse: a wall topped with an offset pinnacle separates them.
In ruins until recently, this pre-Romanesque chapel obviously listed in the Inventory has been the subject of careful restoration work respectful of the age of the site.
The building surrounded by a bucolic environment can mark out a pleasant walk or hike away from the small town. Inquire at +33 4 68 51 52 53.
