Former Church of Saint-Hilaire

You're now standing before the former Church of Saint-Hilaire, or what remains of it today. This site has been in ruins for decades, serving as a reminder that back in the 11th century, a place of worship was founded here in Agen. The monument is also called the Penitents' Tower, named after its distinctive bell wall. It originally served as a meeting place for a brotherhood of lay Catholics who gathered here to practice their faith. After the French Revolution, the building was repurposed as a fodder storehouse for the gendarmes’ horses, and it was eventually sold off as national property. Up until then, the old church survived relatively intact, but it suffered its first major destruction in the 19th century, when a new street was cut through it. At the time, historic preservation was not a priority for urban planners. Various other activities, plus a devastating fire in 1913, caused severe damage to the remaining structure, but it was finally given official protection as a historic monument in 1950.