Ganthem church is a well-preserved Romanesque church, finished in the middle of the 13th century. The choir with its apse is the oldest part, dating from the late 12th century. The nave is slightly later, from the beginning of the 13th century while the tower is the most recent addition. Apart from an enlargement of the windows made in the 19th century, and the addition of a sacristy in the 1930s, the church has remained unchanged since the 13th century.
The interior of the church is decorated with frescos from the 15th century. On the northern wall, a set of paintings depict the Passion of Christ. This set is unusual inasmuch as it has never been painted over, and has retained much of its original vibrancy. On the southern wall, another set of frescos depicts other religious motifs.
The church still contains a number of medieval items. The baptismal font is from the latter half of the 14th century and has been ascribed to the artist Hegvald. The triumphal cross is from circa 1200 and unusually well-preserved. The altarpiece is furthermore a copy of the original, 14th-century altarpiece now belonging to the Swedish History Museum.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.