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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Amans-le-Vieux de Caylus, located in the Tarn-et-Garonne region of Occitanie, is a religious building built in the 1st quarter of the 16th century. It replaces an old Romanesque church which belonged to the Templars of Lacapelle-Livron. After the dissolution of the order in 1307, the site passed into the hands of the Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, who built the present church between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Its three-sided bedside, its gothic axial window and its basket handle portal surmounted by a coat of arms at the Maltese cross bear witness to this architectural transition. The church was decommissioned in 1892, considered too isolated, before being classified as a historical monument in 1984.

Between 1975 and 1980, a major restoration was carried out under the impetus of Roland Hévin, which saved the building. The northern chapel, vaulted in cradle, could be the primitive choir of the parish church attested as early as 961 in the will of Raymond I, Count of Rouergue. The present church was consecrated in 1519 by Peter, bishop of Viviers, on behalf of the bishop of Cahors. Today, it belongs to the Town Hall of Caylus, symbolically ceded by the restaurant association, provided that it is not sold or exploited for commercial purposes.

The bell tower, integrated with the gable of the facade, and the sexpartite vault of the choir illustrate late Gothic influences. The southern gate, decorated with a hospital coat of arms, recalls the role of religious orders in the construction and management of places of worship in Occitanie. After its decommissioning, the church underwent a period of abandonment before its restoration, which gave it a place in the local heritage. Sources also mention its precise address (6301 Saint-Amans le Vieux, 82160 Caylus) and its official ranking in 1984, highlighting its historical and architectural importance.

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