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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame d'Espiet, located in the Gironde department in New Aquitaine, is a Catholic building dating back to the 11th or 12th century. Although partially rebuilt in the 16th and 19th centuries, it preserves significant Romanesque elements, including its southern portal decorated with symbolic sculptures. This portal, the only vestige of the Romanesque period, presents four capitals illustrating moral or religious scenes, such as a Virgin with the Child or allegorical animals. The dadigeons still visible testify to its original decoration.

The present structure of the church is the result of almost complete reconstruction in the 16th century, followed by restorations in the 19th century. It is characterized by a unique nave, a flat bedside to the east, and a bell tower to the west. Inside, a liturgical furniture of the seventeenth century – altar, altar and benign – coexists with the traces of its medieval past. A stone cross, located at the southeast corner of the adjacent cemetery, completes this heritage complex. The building, owned by the commune, was listed as historical monuments on 7 March 2012.

Among the remarkable elements, a stone statue from the Virgin to the Child (late 15th century) was once distinguished in the church. Sold in 1888 to a Bordeaux scrapman, it is now exhibited at the Musée d'Aquitaine. This work, with a popular and late style, reflects the artistic influences of the Anne of Brittany era, with characteristic detailing such as square neckline. The capitals of the portal, for their part, denounce vices or celebrate virtues, according to an iconography typical of the Romanesque churches girondines.

The south gate, preceded by a rectangular porch, offers a rich symbolic reading. The capital is decorated with two men in conflict, perhaps evoking moral temptations, while another represents two fawns observant, symbol of vice. In contrast, the Virgin with the Child and a bird with a plant – interpreted as the Tree of Life – illustrate themes of redemption and hope. These sculptures, although partially eroded, remain a valuable testimony of local Romanesque art.

The church, still in cult activity, embodies nearly nine centuries of religious and architectural history. Its recent inscription (2012) highlights the heritage value of its Romanesque elements and baroque furniture, while preserving the memory of missing objects, such as the statue of the Virgin, now preserved in Bordeaux. Its bell tower-wall, typical of small rural churches, and its dedicated cemetery recall its anchoring in the community life of Espiet since the Middle Ages.

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