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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The parish church of Saint-Sébastien in Bournazel, rebuilt between 1740 and 1749, replaces a medieval building mentioned since 819 when it donated to the Abbey of Conques. A sentence of 1418 regulates the rights of the consuls and the seigneur of Bournazel, requiring the inhabitants to obtain his agreement for any modification. In 1739, Bishop Jean-d.

The reconstruction is entrusted to Ramond (or Romond), engineer of the bridges and pavements of Montauban, author of the plans and specifications. The works, partly financed by the prior and the villagers, began in 1747 after a dispute resolved in 1746 by an agreement between the trustee Pierre Fournol and the prior Jean-Louis Dufau. The lord of Bournazel, although keeping private access from his castle, does not participate financially. The church, sober architecture, combines a three-span nave, side chapels, and a square bell tower with three bells.

The gate, framed by Tuscan pilasters and surmounted by a curved pediment, bears the date of 1749 and the name of the mason Mr Cadriev. Inside, an 18th-century altarpiece houses a painting by La Crucifixion (1880) signed Romain Laporte, as well as statues of Saint Sebastian and Saint James. The structure of the bell tower was redone around 1900 by architect Sylvain Landrès, who pierced bays in the middle of the wall to illuminate the side chapels.

The church illustrates the influence of architectural models distributed in the 18th century by printing, with a neat stereotomy and elegant proportions. Its history also reflects tensions between local authorities (Lord, Prior, Community) and the technical constraints of the time. Ranked a historic monument in 2023, it remains owned by the commune of Bournazel.

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