Former Church of Saint-Hilaire

The old church of Saint-Hilaire

The Agen audio-guided tour takes you before the old church of Saint-Hilaire, or at least what remains of it. In ruins for decades, the site recalls that an Agen place of worship was founded on this land as early as the eleventh century.

The tower of the Penitents

Also known as the tower of the Penitents, in reference to its bell-gable, the monument was first the meeting place of a brotherhood of lay Catholics devoted to the practice of their faith. Following the Revolution, the building was requisitioned and transformed into a fodder loft for the mounts of the gendarmes, before gradually falling into ruin. Its vestiges testify to the long and eventful religious history of Agen.

What there is to see

Of the monument there remain above all vestiges, dominated by the bell-gable that earned the site its nickname of the tower of the Penitents. These ruins, laden with memory, are discovered with respect and offer a moving testimony of the transformations undergone over the centuries. It is a stop for those interested in the spiritual past and the upheavals of the history of Agen.

Practical information

The old church of Saint-Hilaire is in the centre of Agen. Its vestiges can be contemplated from the public space, along the walk. Being ruins, it is appropriate to respect their access and their integrity.

Why is it called the tower of the Penitents?

In reference to its bell-gable; the monument was the meeting place of a brotherhood of lay Catholics, the penitents.

What became of the building after the Revolution?

It was requisitioned and transformed into a fodder loft for the mounts of the gendarmes, before gradually falling into ruin.