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Origin and history

Notre-Dame-du-Bourg de Biron Church is a Catholic parish church in the Dordogne department, in the commune of Biron, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, it was built on the site of an ancient priorial church dedicated to Saint Michael, dependent on the abbey of Sarlat. Its architecture combines Romanesque elements, such as the three-pointed portal, and subsequent additions, including the western façade resumed in the 16th century.

The building follows a cross plan with an apse in the hemicycle and a vaulted nave in a broken cradle. The cross of the transept, initially surmounted by a dome replaced by an ogival vault, bears witness to medieval architectural developments. The bell tower-wall, typical of Romanesque churches, dominates the western facade, while capitals carved of leaves, characters and animals adorn the interior.

Ranked a historic monument in 1961, the church is dedicated to Notre-Dame de l'Assumption. Its history is linked to local religious life, with a ruined 15th-century presbytery formerly attached to the building. The sources mention a pastoral visit in 1597, stressing its importance in the religious heritage of the Périgord.

Protected elements include the Romanesque portal, the cul-de-four vault of the choir, and the bell tower-wall with three openings. The church thus illustrates the evolution of architectural styles, from Romanesque to Gothic, while preserving traces of its medieval priorial origin.

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