Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Beynac is a former seigneurial church located in the Dordogne department in the municipality of Beynac-et-Cazenac. Originally Romanesque castral chapel, it was built in the 12th century inside the first enclosure of Beynac Castle. Its rectangular plan, dating from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, was enriched in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries by the addition of two chapels. The building, covered with lauzes, is oriented on the traditional east-west axis, with a five-bay bell tower overlooking the gate.

The church features a three-span nave, two chapels and a Gothic-style choir, characterized by cross-sections of warheads decorated with painted or carved arch keys. It houses a 17th century pulpit and monumental altarpiece, classified as historical monuments. This wooden altarpiece, measuring 6.5 metres wide by 5 metres high, exhibits a central painting depicting the Assumption, made in 1715 by François Joseph Vaincque after Rubens. An 18th century gilded wood tabernacle, also classified, completes this set.

Classified as historical monuments since 31 October 1912, the church is distinguished by its flat bedside and carved modillons. It embodies the medieval religious architecture of the Black Périgord, mixing Romanesque and Gothic influences. Its high location, overlooking the Dordogne Valley, highlights its historical role in the local landscape.

The building preserves remarkable architectural elements, such as blazes and vault keys, bearing witness to its evolution throughout the centuries. The additions of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries reflect the liturgical and artistic transformations of the modern era, while preserving the original medieval structure. The church remains a significant example of the religious and seigneurial heritage of the region.

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