Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Savignac-sur-Leyze, built in the 12th century, presents a typical Romanesque choir with a vault in a full hanger and a cul-de-four. Four engraved crosses, discovered on the pillars, evoke possible links with the Templars or the Order of Malta. These symbols could also be consecration crosses, while the triumphal arch marks a transition to a more recent architecture.

The Gothic portal, dating back to the late 16th century, is distinguished by its broken arch tympanum and an archvolt in a braid decorated with plant hooks. Enlisted in 1927 for its artistic quality, it is framed by false foothills surmounted by pinacles. The tympanum houses a niche, and the piedroits are decorated with branches in high relief. This portal illustrates the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles.

The wars of Religion marked the history of the church: one of the two bells was sold at that time, leaving only a small bell of 1805 and a large one of 1875. In 1601 an episcopal visit already mentioned the baptismal fonts and the bell tower. In the 19th century, the priest Danty bequeathed 3,000 francs to build two side chapels: the southern chapel (1882-1884), dedicated to the Virgin, and the northern chapel (after 1892) dedicated to Saint Joseph. These neo-roman additions are part of a terflé plane characteristic of the Agenais.

The building, typical of the Agenese with its semi-circular apse bedside and bell tower-wall, was fully inscribed in historical monuments in 2006. Its architecture thus combines Romanesque, Gothic and neo-Roman elements, reflecting nearly nine centuries of religious and local history. The lateral chapels, added in 1884, complement this traditional silhouette, while the engraved crosses and the carved portal testify to its rich symbolic and artistic past.

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