Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The church of Saint-Louis de Lamontjoie was founded in 1298 by the Sénéchal of Agenais, confirmed in 1299 by Philippe le Bel. According to tradition, the latter would have offered Saint Louis relics to the community. The first church, built at that time, preserves remains in the present north wall. These medieval elements testify to his central role in this royal bastide where the lord was the king of France himself.

The building is completely rebuilt and enlarged eastward in the 16th century according to a typical plan of the Languedoc school: unique nave flanked by chapels between the foothills, with a disoriented choir. The vault keys of the choir, dating back to the 2nd quarter of the 16th century, and the capitals adorned with angelots and fabulous animals illustrate this Renaissance period. The bell tower and western façade, threatened with ruin in 1899, were rebuilt in 1900 under the direction of architects Léopold and Édouard Payen, with decorative sculptures financed by Mrs Fournet.

The altarpiece, a 17th century Baroque masterpiece, comes from the priory of the Paravis. Commanded in 1629 by the Prioress Françoise du Bouzet de Roquepine, it is made by the Parisian carpenter Innocent Cochoy and the Lorrain sculptor Gaspard Dousset. The central painting, painted in 1635 by Antoine Barthélemy, and the gilding executed in 1647 by Pierre Launet, by Agen, make it a remarkable ensemble. Acquired as a national property in 1795 by M. Fortunié de Feugarolles, he was installed in the church in 1801 by Abbé Druillhet, parish priest of Lamontjoie.

In the 19th century, the church underwent major changes: the vaults of the nave were built around 1850 under the episcopate of Jean-Aimé de Levezou de Vesins (arms on a key arch), the walls were enhanced in 1874, and the structure was completely rebuilt by the carpenter Alexandre Richefort. In 1971, young volunteers from the Club du Vieux Manoir took part in its safeguard. Ranked a historical monument in 1984, the church thus preserves traces of seven centuries of history, from medieval bastide to contemporary restorations.

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