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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The church Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Cameyrac, mentioned as early as 1165 among the possessions of the abbey Sainte-Croix of Bordeaux, was originally dedicated to Saint Cyr and Saint Julitte. Its early 14th-century structure included a unique nave and Romanesque façade. The current term, Saint John the Baptist, replaces that of Saint Ciers later. The original plan, rectangular with a straight bedside, was modified in the 17th century by the addition of two chapels (1651 and 1655), transforming the building into a Latin cross. A sacristy and a porch were also added at that time.

The bell tower, reinforced by foothills and equipped with a scaffold, served as a fortress during the Wars of Religion. Accessible by a screw staircase, its upper chamber is pierced by cruciform archeries. The west door, decorated with four rolls and monolithic columns with ground capitals, preserves traces of a table of stone offerings. Inside, the sanctuary houses a 17th-century altarpiece, 18th-century woodwork, and a polychrome statue of Saint John the Baptist. The painted panels and vestiges of wall decorations bear witness to a rich liturgical ornament.

The side chapels, dedicated to Saint Joseph (south) and the Virgin (north), illustrate the baroque art of the region. The one of St Joseph has a altarpiece with torso columns and a painting signed H. Lepreux (1863), while the chapel of the Virgin, built in 1655, presents an altar imitating marble and a 19th century statue. The church, listed as a historical monument in 1925, was restored in 1996 and 1998. A stone and cast stone cross, located nearby, completes this heritage complex.

The site, occupied since Antiquity, reveals a historical stratification: the nave and bell tower of the 14th century contrast with the additions of the 17th–12th centuries. The 1651 and 1655 contracts for chapels reflect the influence of local lords and clergy. The bell tower, repaired in 1935 by architect P. Ferret, preserves revolutionary inscriptions (1794). The hollow tile roofs, the roofing panel, and the remains of interior paintings highlight the architectural and liturgical evolution of the building.

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