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Origin and history

The church Saint-Martin de Camboulit, located in the Lot en Occitanie department, dates from the second half of the 12th century. It was first mentioned in 1146 as possession of the abbey Saint-Sauveur de Figeac. Its Romanesque architecture is characterized by a single vaulted nave, a semicircular apse reinforced with foothills, and a cross of transept surmounted by an added tower in the 16th century. The windows of the apse, never closed, and the modillons without decor suggest a sober construction, typical of the rural churches of the time.

In 1562, the church was ceded to the Protestants by Charles de Cornély, the Coseigneur of Camboulit converted to the Reformation. These transform it into a temple, probably adding the tower above the choir and a low vault in the nave. A document of 1679 attests to his abandonment: the building, described as "desert and without office", lost its parish status. Its decline continued until the early 20th century, when it was in ruins.

Between 1914 and 1915, the chief architect Henri Chaine carried out a major restoration, including rebuilding the north elevation of the collapsed nave. Ranked a historic monument on August 1, 1912, the church preserves traces of its successive transformations, such as the brazed walls of the 16th century tower. Its history reflects the religious tensions of the region, between medieval Catholicism and reborn Protestantism, as well as the challenges of preserving rural heritage.

Today, the church of Saint Martin is distinguished by its isolation on a hill, in the middle of the communal cemetery. Its original design—a unique nave, a straight span preceding the abside, and a cross vaulted cradle—makes it a remarkable example of Lotese Romanesque architecture. The lauze covering the apse and the foothills without ornamentation illustrate a sobriety characteristic of the rural religious buildings of the period.

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