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Origin and history

The Saint-Roman church of Budos, located in the Gironde department in New Aquitaine, is a Catholic building dating back to the 12th century. It is dedicated to Saint Roman du Mans, disciple of Saint Martin de Tours. Originally built with a unique nave facing east and a cul-de-four apse, it underwent major transformations in the 14th, 16th and 18th centuries, as well as a partial reconstruction of its bell tower in the 19th century.

Leabside and the choir, the only remains of the 12th century, present a nine-sided bedside decorated with carved capitals representing plant, animal and symbolic motifs such as chained men or birds. These elements, partially masked by subsequent additions (buttress, sacristy), testify to a refined Romanesque art. The 14th century gate, now reduced, was once decorated with capitals illustrating the capital sins (Luxure, Gourmandise, Anger, Avarice), two of which are preserved in the wall of the old town hall.

In the 16th century, the church was enlarged with the addition of two lateral naves, triplanting its width to respond to the post-war population increase of One Hundred Years. The choir was modified in the 18th century by the addition of a flat wall and a stucco altar, while the sacristy occupied the space of the Romanesque abside. The Romanesque bell tower, threatened by cracks, was demolished in 1865 and replaced by a 30-metre high bell tower designed by the Bordeaux architect Alexandre Antoine Lambert. The latter bears the coat of arms of Pope Pius IX, Cardinal Donnet and Barons of Larroque-Budos.

The interior houses a marble high altar of the Pyrenees (1846), a classified altar of the eighteenth century dedicated to Saint Roman, and 19th century stained glass windows signed Henri Curcier, illustrating religious scenes such as the presentation of the rosary to Saint Dominique. The bas-cotés, vaulted in 1868, preserve funeral slabs of the lords of La Roque-Budos (until 1770) and a memorial altar of the deaths of the two world wars. A circular pierced stone, discovered under the ground, feeds local legends on possible underground.

Partially classified as historical monuments in 1986 (excluding bell tower and sacristy), the church underwent major restorations between 1999 and 2007 to consolidate its vault, triumphal arch and bell tower. This work allowed its reopening to the public in 2004, preserving an architectural heritage marked by nearly nine centuries of religious and community history.

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