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Situated on the via Turonensis, an ancient road between Landes and Pyrénées, Sorde l'Abbaye was visited from the Upper Paleolithic and experienced a revival in the Middle Ages as a result of pilgrimage to Compostella.


Dating back to the Roman era, the Church of St John in Sorde-l'Abbaye has been remodeled several times: two apses dates from the twelfth century. The apse is pierced by three arched windows with columns.
The end of the choir is lined by monumental canopy on columns of the high altar.
Before, under the floor, the ground is covered with mosaics of the late eleventh century. The church was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco as part of the Way of St James in France.