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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Julien de Lunegarde, located in the Lot en Occitanie department, finds its origins in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. Originally attached to the Abbey of Marcilhac, whose singer was the prior of the place, she served as a priory served by a vicar. Its early architecture reflects this medieval period, with a nave ending with a semicircular choir, typical of the Romanesque churches of the region.

The Hundred Years' War marked a turning point in its history: the building was partially rebuilt and raised to serve as a refuge for the inhabitants, as evidenced by the buttresses and consoles of mâchicoulis still visible. This transformation includes the nave and apse, whose vault, dating from the late 15th or early 16th century, little before the realization of the bedside murals, discovered and restored in 1993-1994.

The two lateral chapels, later added, have ribs and arch keys similar to those of the apse, suggesting a construction in the late 16th or early 17th century. The southern chapel, protected by a missing steeple, and the west gate, rebuilt in the 19th century, illustrate successive architectural developments. The church once housed a major relic, the holy bandeau of Christ, now preserved at the museum of Rocamadour, and several retables of the seventeenth century classified.

The bedside murals, dated from the beginning of the sixteenth century, form a cycle of the Childhood of Christ, surrounded by the symbols of the evangelists and saints. Their style brings Lunegarde closer to other Lotese churches, such as Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Soulomès. These frescoes, restored with a tratteggio treatment, constitute a rare testimony of late medieval religious art in Quercy.

The building, inscribed in the historical monuments in 1991, also preserves contemporary stained glass windows signed Echaniz (1975) and a collection of liturgical clothing. Its square bell tower, in corbellation on the west facade, and its side chapels reflect a complex architectural history, mixing religious, defensive and community functions.

Finally, the church of Saint-Julien embodies the link between the material and intangible heritage of the Lot: its past as a priory, its transformations related to conflicts, and its present role as a conservatory of sacred art. The sources, like the Little Bollandists, evoke his past attraction for pilgrims, attracted by his relics before the Revolution.

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