Church of Notre-Dame-des-Treilles à La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite dans l'Aveyron

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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-des-Treilles church, located in La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite in Aveyron, is a medieval Romanesque building. It is located below the village of Saint-Véran, on the right bank of the Dourbie, about 30 meters above the river. Its name could come from the term tnou-ia, meaning "valley", and it was known from the twelfth century under the name "Our Lady of the Trolas", mentioned in the cartular of Aniane.

As early as 570, the church depended on the Diocese of Arisitum, but Bishop Dalmas of Rodez claimed its attachment to his diocese. In 1082, the Benedictines of the abbey of Lérins deposited a relic of St.Veran, a monk who died in 480. This gift marked the history of the place: the neighbouring village, forming around the castle, took the name of Saint Veran in homage to the saint. The church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, became the spiritual and toponymic heart of the region.

Notre-Dame-des-Treilles operated as a priory until the Revolution, where it was sold as a national good. The present building, which has been listed as a historical monument since 1927, has a nave of 12.50 metres high and a bell tower typical of the Carolingian churches. Its cul-de-four apse, initially pierced by three Romanesque windows today walled, and its lateral chapels dedicated to Saint John and the Virgin reflect its medieval architectural heritage. Outside, an eagle sculpture, symbol of Saint John, adorns the bell tower.

Subsequent developments, such as the opening of two windows in the abside in the 19th century, testify to its evolution. The adjacent priory, including dependencies for the prior and stables, emphasizes its role both religious and agricultural. The cradle vaults of the nave and the vestiges of veins in the bell tower recall the Romanesque construction techniques, while a jump-off protects the abside from water infiltrations, illustrating the adaptation of the building to its mountainous environment.

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