As the restoration project at the Saint-Michel Abbey advances, the building is gradually regaining its splendor and revealing precious testimonies of its history. In the nave as well as in the workshops where the organ is being restored, each intervention brings its share of discoveries.
The organ, dismantled in the summer of 2024 and entrusted to organ builders, is currently undergoing meticulous work. The windchests, keyboards, and several mechanisms have now been restored. A signature from the Cavaillé-Coll family, renowned organ builders of the 19th century, was even found on the instrument. The Grand Organ keyboard has been entirely redone. Starting in September, organ builders will tackle the pipes, followed by the restoration of the bellows and the addition of a second bellows to improve the instrument's functioning. The organ case, the visible part of the organ, will be the last major restoration step in the workshop, in 2027-2028, before its reinstallation and final harmonization.
In the nave, consolidation, cleaning, and plaster repair work continues. The largely cleaned vaults now allow for an appreciation of the work accomplished. Restorers are also working on the paintings and decorations of the elevations, with meticulous restoration expected to continue for several more weeks. Here too, the site holds surprises. On the painted mural decoration of the Tables of the Law, a signature was found, testifying to carpentry work that may have been carried out in 1904, a small mark but a precious testament to the building's history at a human level.
Several terracotta capitals will also be restored. Their examination reveals old repairs, sometimes done in haste, with river pebbles used to prop up certain elements. These adaptations, dated to the second half of the 19th century, are currently being researched to better understand their origin and history. On the high altar, the passage of electrical networks has been completed, which will notably allow for the reinstallation and relighting of the two old light fixtures, currently undergoing restoration. In the attic, a roof leak has also been treated to allow work to continue under good conditions. And these attics offer an astonishing dive into the past: the ropes and pulley systems used to hoist the chandeliers are still in place... and functional! They were indeed used at the beginning of the project to remove the light fixtures.
Between 2015 and 2026, €116,000 in donations have been collected for the restoration of the Saint-Michel Abbey thanks to the mobilization of individuals and businesses. Today, the City of Gaillac renews its agreement with the Fondation du patrimoine to continue this mobilization around the next stages of the construction site.
