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Origin and history

The Saint-Astier church finds its origins in a hermitage founded around 640 by Saint Astier, around which a wooden chapel was erected by a princess healed by the hermit. This first structure, destroyed in the 9th century by the Normans (ca. 849 or 855), was abandoned before being rebuilt in the 11th century by Benedictine monks, under the impulse of Bishop Raoul de Couhé (1000-1013). The founding charter of the Abbey of Saint-Astier in 1013, signed under Robert le Pieux, attests to this reconstruction, while the co-vicomtes of Fronsac, Grimoard and Raymond contributed to its restoration around 1012-1013. Their brother, Adacius, became abbot and prior of Saint Astier and was buried there.

The church became collegiate in 1178, marking a new work campaign. Its current structure combines Romanesque elements (crypt, walls of the nave) and Gothic (ogival vaults, lateral chapels). In the 15th century, under the episcopate of Helie de Bourdeilles (1437-1468), the bedside, the southern chapels, and the fortified bell tower (with niches and mâchicoulis) were built, replacing earlier structures. The vaults of the northern chapel, decorated with arms of the Chaumont family, date from the 16th century, when this family provided three successive abbots to the college.

The turbulent history of the church includes destruction during the Hundred Years' War (seats in 1377 and under Charles VII) and the Fronde (capture of the city in 1652 by Colonel Balthasar, looting). Major restorations took place between 1671 and 1683, including the repair of the vaults and the removal of supports for domes. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1910, the church preserves traces of its medieval past, such as bas-reliefs of apostles and a crypt containing the tomb of Saint Astier.

Archaeological and historical sources underline its central role in the region, from its founding hermitage to its status as a collegiate body. The studies of Jacques Gardelles and Félix de Verneilh highlight his hybrid architecture, inspired by the churches of Saint-Étienne-de-la-Cité and Saint-Front de Périgueux. The construction campaigns reflect political and religious upheavals, from Norman invasions to Renaissance conflicts.

Today, Saint Astier's church bears witness to nearly a thousand years of history, with preserved defensive elements (fortin crenelé) and liturgical elements (altarians, chapels). Its bell tower-porch, its vaults with liernes and thirdons, and its heraldic decorations make it a remarkable example of the Aquitaine religious heritage, marked by the transitions between Roman, Gothic and Renaissance.

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