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Origin and history

The Church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption of Bourg-du-Bost, located in the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, is a Roman Catholic religious building. Built in the first half of the 12th century, it has typical architectural features of this period, such as a nave covered in panelling, a forechoir surmounted by an oval dome, and a semi-cylindrical apse. Its portal, adorned with capital columns in Damiers, bears witness to a stylistic influence marked by the Romanesque art of southwestern France. The church was later fortified, notably by the addition of a heavy bell tower, reflecting the defensive needs of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.

The interior frescoes, especially visible on the dome of the forechoeur and in the apse, date from the late Middle Ages and constitute a remarkable artistic heritage. These murals, studied in works such as Mural Paintings in Périgord (2021), illustrate the cultural and religious importance of the building. The church once depended on the Abbey of Aubeterre, as evidenced by 13th century documents, and its history is linked to that of Périgord, an area marked by exchanges between aquitaine and poitevin influences.

The building was listed as historic monuments on December 17, 1947, recognizing its heritage value. The foothills of the apse, added in the 16th century, and the modifications of the 19th century show a continuous architectural evolution. Today, the church remains a testimony of the religious, military and artistic transformations of the Dordogne, from its medieval foundation to its subsequent adaptations.

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