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Origin and history

The church of Saint Christophe de Vianne, built in the 12th century, was originally the Romanesque church of the village of Villelongue, dedicated to Our Lady and probably linked to a priory. This village then depended on the fief de Montgaillard, possession of the lords of Gontaut-Biron. The Vianne bastide was founded in 1284 by Jourdain de l'Isle, nephew of Vianne de Gontaut-Biron, through an act of trimming with Edward I of England, in tribute to his aunt. The early Romanesque church was enlarged in the 14th century by a western span and a new portal, while the old Romanesque portal was walled. A northern chapel was added at the same time.

In the 16th century, a sacristy was built, and works were attested in 1792 (foreword) and 1856 (paintings by Tarlas). The architect Henri Rapine led a major restoration in 1910, raising the walls and re-roofing. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1889, the church preserves Romanesque elements (five-span nave, elevated sanctuary, square bell tower) and stained glass windows of the Bordeaux master glassmaker Henri Feur. The adjacent cemetery, inscribed in 1943, houses medieval tombs with loggers discovered along the southern wall.

The building illustrates the architectural and historical evolution of the region, from its origin as a prioral church to its role in the Vianne bastide. The capitals of the 12th century, inspired by those of the Priory of Moirax, and subsequent modifications (ogival vaults, decorations) testify to its local importance. The religious of the Great Sauve settled there in 1395, marking a monastic phase before modern transformations.

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