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Origin and history

Saint-Étienne de Lageyrat Church is a Catholic church located in the village of Lageyrat, in the commune of Chalus, Haute-Vienne (New Aquitaine). Partly dating from the 11th century, it was rebuilt at the end of the 15th century by Jean de Lastours, Rector of Nexon, Bussière and Lageyrat. The building, which served as a parish church in Chalus-bas until the Revolution, was ruined during the Wars of Religion. Its cemetery houses carved granite tombstones from the 11th and 15th centuries, including a tomb of Saint Quitterie.

The architecture of the church combines medieval elements, such as a nave covered with a overturned keel ceiling and a transept surmounted by a square bell tower resting on four pillars. The eastern part, rebuilt between 1492 and 1497, includes a 15th-century swimming pool with a braid, as well as a gate in the middle of the hangar typical of the rural churches of high epoch. The building, owned by the commune, has been included in the inventory of historical monuments since 17 June 1975.

Historically, Lageyrat's cure depended on Nontron. The church, although six kilometres away from the town of Chalus, played a central role in the local religious life before the Revolution. Today, it reflects the architectural transformations and conflicts that have marked the region, including the wars of Religion that caused its partial destruction. The remains, such as tombstones and carved elements, offer an overview of the funerary and religious heritage of the Limousin during the 11th and 15th centuries.

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