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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jacques de Lassouts, located in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region, is a Gothic building built at the end of the 15th century or at the beginning of the 16th century by the cathedral chapter of Notre-Dame de Rodez. It replaces a 12th century Romanesque church, destroyed by the roadmen of the Big Companies at the end of the Hundred Years War. Among the preserved Romanesque remains are a tympanum depicting Christ in majesty surrounded by the tetramorph and six apostles, as well as elements such as a baptismal vats, altars and carved crows.

The Romanesque tympanum, resting above the Gothic portal, is a key document for the study of Romanesque sculpture in the Lot Valley. It is framed by three crows from the Evangelists and surmounted by a partially mutilated square medallion. The church, classified as a historical monument in 1927, has an architectural peculiarity: its chapels have vaults almost as high as those of the nave, creating a slender interior contrasting with its massive external appearance.

The artistic importance of the Romanesque remains is explained by the fact that Lassouts was, in the Middle Ages, the seat of an archpriest. This ecclesiastical status probably favoured the quality of the artistic and architectural achievements of the time. Today, the church belongs to the commune and remains a significant witness to the evolution of religious styles in the region, mixing Romanesque and Gothic heritage.

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