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Origin and history

Notre-Dame Church, also known as Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption, is a Catholic church located in the heart of Montagnac-sur-Auvignon, Lot-et-Garonne. Rebuilt at the beginning of the 16th century on the remains of a 13th century church, it preserves Gothic elements such as warheads and a square bell tower made of cut stone. Its atypical orientation (east-south-east/west-north-west) and its bell tower-belfry flanked by a stair turret make it a remarkable building.

The history of the church is marked by successive destruction. In 1569, during the Wars of Religion, it was largely ravaged by Protestant troops in Montgomery. The repairs, dated 1610, include the consolidation of the south wall and the winding of a 16th century gate. In 1781 lightning destroyed the stone bell tower's arrow. In the 19th century, the building underwent major changes: expansion of the choir in 1838 on the site of the old cemetery, construction of a sacristy in 1840, and addition of roofing panels in 1843. Three bays were pierced in the south wall around 1870, and adjoining houses were destroyed to clear space.

The interior architecture combines dogive vaulted lateral chapels (north side), a forechoir and a hemicircular apse. The furniture includes 18th and 19th century stalls, a double staircase oak chair, and a five-metre monumental crucifix. Three stained glass windows commemorate the missing or existing auxiliary parishes of Lux Fournier (Tourangeau) and Gustave Pierre Dagrant (Bordeaux) workshops. The church has been listed as a historic monument since October 3, 1929.

The bell tower, the only major vestige of the reconstruction of the sixteenth century, houses a vaulted ground floor and a spiral staircase leading to the belfry. The 19th-century transformations, though controversial (such as Leopold Payen's aborted project to rebuild the arrow in 1869), shaped its present appearance. The traces of religious conflicts and successive adaptations bear witness to his central role in the community life of Montagnac-sur-Auvignon.

Today, the Church of Our Lady remains a symbol of the religious and architectural heritage of New Aquitaine. Its mix of styles (gothic, classical, and 19th century restorations) reflects the historical upheavals of the region, from the wars of Religion to rural modernization. Its inscription to historic monuments in 1929 underscores its heritage value, both for its architecture and for its preserved furniture.

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