The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the most important Basque church in France and one of the finest examples of the region's distinctive religious architecture. Built mostly between 1649 and 1670, it is famous above all for hosting the marriage of Louis XIV to the Spanish Infanta Marie-Thérèse in 1660 — the wedding that ended more than two decades of war between France and Spain. The ceremony took place here because Saint-Jean-de-Luz was the French settlement closest to Spain and the most convenient neutral ground.
Inside, the church departs completely from Gothic or Baroque convention: three tiers of wooden galleries line the walls, carved oak panelling fills every surface, and a magnificent gilded altarpiece dominates the east end. The galleries were where men sat — Basque churches traditionally separated the sexes, with women on the ground floor. The overall effect is rich and warm, with very little of the cold stone austerity of so many French churches. It is regularly cited as one of the most beautiful interiors in the French Basque country.