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Origin and history

The church of Sainte-Fauste de Bozouls, dedicated to Saint Fauste, is a Roman Catholic church located in the department of Aveyron, on the banks of the Dourdu. Its exact origin remains unknown, but it was initially attached to the abbey of Saint-Amans de Rodez before being assigned to the abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseilles around 1079. This donation, confirmed in 1120, was contested in 1140 when the priory passed under the control of the chapter of Rodez Cathedral, despite the opposition of the Marseille monks. A papal bubble of Alexander III in 1162 definitively endorsed this possession.

The present building, built in the 12th century, replaces an earlier 11th century church, some of which remains. Its bell tower, partially redesigned in the 14th century, dominates a nave reinforced by bow-buttons added in the 17th century to stabilize the structure, weakened by the addition of five lateral chapels in the 15th and 16th centuries. These successive amendments will also include replacing the lauze roof with slate, as well as strengthening the north foothills and bedside. A stair turret was grafted north, and the high chapel of the massif was divided by a wall.

In the 18th century, two foothills came to consolidate the west facade of the bell tower, followed in 1817 by the construction of a foreground and, in 1874-1875, a sacristy. Ranked a historic monument in 1920, the church benefited from major restorations in the 20th century: interior decrapping and refurbishing of coatings in 1946-1947, repair of frames and coverings in 1970, and restoration of masonries in 1980. Its architecture thus combines original novel elements and subsequent adaptations, testifying to its evolution over the centuries.

The interior is distinguished by its carved capitals, while the exterior reveals an apse to walk away and radiant chapels integrated in a polygonal mass. These features, combined with its turbulent history between abbeys and cathedral chapter, make it a remarkable example of the medieval rouergat religious heritage.

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