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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Saint-Waast church of Villac, listed as a Historical Monument, is a medieval building marked by Romanesque architecture. Oriented, it includes a rectangular nave preceded by a bell tower-porch, leading to a narrower sanctuary closed by a semicircular apse. The Romanesque sculpture adorns the porch, modillons and capitals of the choir. The masonry, made of cut stone and red sandstone stone, as well as the slate covers, reveal successive transformations, including the addition of the bell tower to strengthen the facade. The murals, now missing, were lost during the 1950 restoration, while the frames were partially restored in 2000.

The church is dedicated to Saint Waast, emblematic figure of northern France, known for being the catechist of Clovis. According to tradition, he was born in Villac and died in 540 in Arras, where he held the office of bishop. The building of the church probably dates back to the 12th century, when the parish of Villac, like that of Perignac, depended on the Augustins de Châtres, themselves linked to the Augustins de Saint-Amand-de-Coly. Additions were made at the end of the 14th and early 15th centuries, under the impulse of Gulfier Hélie de Villac, local lord from 1385 to 1436.

The building, fully registered by decree of 2 February 2015, now belongs to the municipality of Villac. Its architecture and history reflect the religious and seigneurial influences of the region, as well as the stylistic and structural changes that have occurred over the centuries. The location of the church, although documented, remains of an accuracy deemed satisfactory a priori (note 7/10), and its access is facilitated by its status as communal property.

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