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Origin and history

The church of Notre-Dame, also known as the chapel of the Blue Penitents, was built in the second half of the 12th century in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, at the initiative of the inhabitants of the Port-Haut district. Until then, these were dependent on the parish of Sioniac. Dedicated to the Virgin, it became the religious heart of the village before suffering the ravages of the Hundred Years War, especially after the English occupation of 1341.

In 1474 the church was restored and strengthened: two side chapels were added, one dedicated to Saint Barbe, patron saint of the navigators, and a comb tower was erected on the western facade. After the Revolution, Saint Peter's abbey church became parish church, and Notre-Dame, sold as a national property, was transformed into a barn. It was bought in 1803 by Xavier Cances, an inserment priest, and later by the brotherhood of the Blue Penitents in 1820.

The Blue Penitents set up a gallery to separate themselves from the faithful, but the brotherhood disappeared in 1866. The church, classified as a historic monument in 1927, was again abandoned after World War II. Restored after 1989, it now hosts temporary exhibitions. Its architecture combines a 12th century nave, a vaulted transept, and 15th century chapels, with 12th and 14th century portals.

The pavement of the church is marked with lapidary signs, while its circular apse, arched in cul-de-four, rests on carved columns. A stamp issued by La Poste in 2023 highlights its picturesque location on the banks of the Dordogne, highlighting its heritage importance in the Limousin-Périgord region.

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