NOTRE DAME DE NIZE

   Three kilometers east from Lunas, on the Department road n° 35, you can find in the bottom of a narrow valley, in a little forest, a rural church, dedicated to the virgin’s nativity.

   The origin of this holy place goes back to an unknown date, situated surely in the first century of the Christianity, as well as the abbey of Joncels, of which it depended. In 1136 it was in best prosperity and in that same year, it was mentioned in the famous Bull of the Pope Innocence II, in which it was confirmed to the abbey of Joncels the property of 28 churches, under others "Sancta Maria de Aniza".

   Elevated to the rank of priory, this church is mentioned in the year 1223 in the list of the churches of the diocese of Béziers, under the title "Prior de Transiliaco et Eniza"

   The priory of Nize served as parish church until the revolution and concerned the hamlets Nize, Val de Nize, Ladournié, Vasplongues, Briandes, Serres, Gours and other farms having disappeared since.

   As it can be seen, this parish was very large and contained in the 18th century nineteen families and globally over hundred souls.

   We were not able to complete the whole list of priors, named by the abbot of Joncels and succeeded themselves in the parish of Nize. The first one we know is Béranger ALAMAN in 1358. In the 17^th and 18th century, we can find FERRIEU, DEJEAN, ARSSON, GROS, D’ANTANE, Jacques AZEMAR and Antoine PRIVAT, who was the last of the priors and had to submit to the Decree of the national assembly from the 26^th of December 1790 and swear the sermon required by the law. He did this act on Sunday, the 30th of January 1791, in his church Notre-Dame de Nize, at the end of the parish mess at 10h00, in presence of the mayor of Lunas and other authorities of the city.

   At the dissolution of the parish of Nize and its annexation to this of Lunas, the Prior PRIVAT, who had in this way no more income, became priest of Octon, where he died in 1837.

   In the 19^th century, hermits settled the former priory, where the curate of Lunas executed the Mess service on Sundays. Thanks to their presence, the faithful from the former parish and the surroundings took up again their habitudes and came regularly to ask for the protection of the Mother.

   Today, there are no vestiges of the original church, the narrow part of the nave and the church tower are the only testimonies of the medieval building. Quite often, messes are celebrated in this holy place, by the priest of Lunas, but the two most important events are the pilgrimages of the 15^th of August and 9^th of September, attracting numerous visitors of the surroundings, and particularly Escandorgue.

   To the plenary indulgence accorded by the pope Gregory XVI by a message from the 9^th of Mai 1836, you have to add the persistence of the faithful, who believe in the curative effect on eyes diseases of the water of the miraculous fountain, at about 200 m from the church, below the street.

   After having washed the eyes with a cloth, put into the healthy water, they implore for recovery and tie this cloth on the branches of the trees around the place.

   Still some years ago, the return of the pilgrimage took place in a procession, during which the faithful sang the hymn composed for this occasion by Alfred BOULOUYS, and which ended in the church of Lunas, instead of the distance and the heat.